


The Collectors

by gothikuk



Series: The Cassandra Shepard Series [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Custom Shepard (Mass Effect), Mass Effect 2, Other, Sole Survivor (Mass Effect), space born Shepard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-08-20 02:53:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20220601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothikuk/pseuds/gothikuk
Summary: it's taken me a couple of years to start this tale with work life and problems in my own life, now i am in a place where i can start it again and be happy with it.Its been two and a half years since a vessel of unknown origins destroyed the Normandy and killed Commander Cassandra Shepard and 20 other members of her crew. Two and a half years on, Shepard wakes up in the Lazarus Research station under mech attack.This work may have some of ME dialog but it is mainly an AU version, i do not own the rights to Mass Effect that belongs to Bioware, i am not making any money off this, mores the pity, i am just playing in thier sandbox, the only Character i own is my Custom Shep Casandra Shepard and maybe a couple of OC'S along the way. The characters and settings are all Bioware and EA Games.





	1. Research Station Lazarus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra Shepard wakes up in an infirmary, on an unknown station, with an womans voice shouting in her ear and explosions all around her.

“Shepard, wake up!”

The female voice cut through the groggy woman’s head, like a sledgehammer to be more precise, and when she didn’t move straight away the woman’s voice, or at least she assumed it was a woman, grew sharper.  
Almost like she was back on Titan and under that damn Gunnies command. Cassandra swung herself off the bed and took several deep breaths.

“I need you to get up, get the damn pistol and armour from the locker and move your ass!” 

“Will you shut the FUCK UP!” Shepard shouted and, for a few blissful moments there was peace. She winced as she heard the explosions from nearby and opening the locker, she pulled on an armour with the N7 designation insignia, and the colours too. She was impressed, or she would have been, if she knew where she was. 

“No ammo? What is the point of picking up a pistol if there is no ammo!” 

“Move to the next room Shepard there are ammo clips across the floor.”

Was it too much to ask for that woman to be quiet, but she had a feeling that if she wanted to find out what was going on here then, that voice was the one with the answers, so for now, she was playing the game, whatever the game was and it had something to do with that voice.  
Shooting her way through a bunch of mechs was nothing new, the only thing that bothered Cassandra about them was, Mechs were not meant to fire back at humans, unless programmed to do so, especially in the line of security work, but these didn’t much look like security Mechs to her. When she ran to the top of the stairs the voice began to break up, something about being in D wing and surrounded by Mechs, it cut dead after that. Cass moved her head from side to side and held a hand to her side. She ached in places she didn’t think possible and finally, without that woman barking at her, she was able to finally get her bearings.  
She entered the office and looked around her, shot the two crawling Mechs and set her gun on the table. It was a small office, probably used by this building senior people. She perched against a desk and closed her eyes but all she could clearly remember was…her eyes snapped open as the image of Jeff yelling her name and her being flung into space proved too much for her to hold onto. 

She was dead, that much she knew, she had been shot into space and her air filter had ruptured, but maybe she wasn’t dead, she was standing here in this hellish place firing at Mechanical servants and hearing the screams of the dead and dying all around her. Nothing new there, she grimly thought. Cass saw the holo journal, and turned it on, the face of the voice that had been her companion since she woke up, appeared, looking tired and yet determined. 

_**“Progress is slow, yet subject shows signs of recovery.”**_ Cass got up and looked at the files on the shelf as she listened to the attractive woman’s voice once more. _**“Major organs are again functional, and there are signs of rudimentary neurological activity. In order to accelerate the process, we have moved from simple organic reconstruction to bio-synthetic fusion. Initial results show promise.”**_

“Bio what now?” She asked herself and turned to look at the now blank journal. As the Commander stepped back, she knocked a smaller recording and stood listening to the voice, this time a man’s voice, her eyes widening as he spoke in terms of sums of money she could not even begin to fathom. 

**_“Log update, the cost of this project is astronomical…over four billion credits so far and yet no one seems bothered that we have gone over budget. I don’t know where the boss gets his money and maybe, maybe it’s better not to know, but I just wish he’d kick a little my way occasionally.”_ **

Well, he sounded pissed off about that one. Cass thought as she heaved a sigh and flinched at the explosions that seemed to be drawing nearer. She picked her gun up, and a couple more clips, clips? When did they start using clips? She shook her head free of the thought for now, sucking in a lungful of air that hurt to hell, she made her way through the station.

*****

A pain filled hour of searching brought her to an atrium, the view of space would have been nice, had it not been for the explosions, screams and well seeing bodies being torn to shreds thanks to the massive YMIR Mechs Gatling guns. Someone had even called out her name before he died and she had found another scathing journal by the unknown man, whose voice she vaguely recognised, calling the director of this place an ice queen. Cass rested back against the door frame and checked her ammo. She loaded her pistol only to hear; “Gravity's a mean mother aint it” She peered around the corner to see a tall African American man dressed in black and gold armour with short black hair biotically pull a mech into the air then shoot it. 

Finally, another human who wasn’t dead. She aimed her pistol and shot another mech, before moving to cover and joining the man. “Shepard!” he exclaimed in surprise “Damn, things must be serious if Miranda’s got you up and about,”

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage mister?” Shepard scowled as she saw the gold and white emblem on his armour breastplate and wondered why it would cause a sense of unease and disgust to course through her. 

“Names Taylor, Jacob Taylor” Jacob introduced himself, then ducked as a well-aimed shot from the mechs on the other side of the walkway narrowly missed his head. “I need to get you off here Commander, but first we err. Have to deal with these things.” Cass peered over the top of the railing and took a shot, then ducked back down again. “What I need to know is were you alone? Was Miranda with you?” 

“Who?” Cass asked Watching as once again he pulled a Mech into the air and this time she shot it then fired again getting rid of the other Mechs giving her and Taylor a chance to talk. 

“The project director, Miranda Lawson” He explained “Was she with you when you woke up?”

“In a sense” Cass holstered her gun “She was talking to me when I got up, I lost touch with her once I got out the medical wing.” 

“Damn” Jacobs brow furrowed and his deep brown eyes looked almost sorrowful for a moment, as if he had to deal with maybe losing his best friend, but, as soon as it was there, it was gone as a reasserted notion replaced his moment of doubt. 

“She said she was in D wing and she was surrounded then she just cut off.”

“She’ll be fine” Although who he was trying to convince Cass couldn’t be sure. “We need to get you out of here.”

“Just a second Taylor.” Cassandra looked around her “I am not moving until someone tells me where the fuck I am! I been ordered around since I woke up and this, this clearly is not an Alliance facility.”

Jacob looked around him as if trying to decide if he should say something, but judging by the expression on the Commanders face, either he gave her some information or she was not walking. 

“Ok Commander,” Jacob sighed heavily “what do you want to know?”

“Where am I would be a good start.” Cass folded her arms. 

“You are on the Lazarus Research station and you have been for about two and a half years.”

“What? Two and a…that’s fucking ridiculous!” Cassie's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped in shock. 

“No, Commander it isn’t. The Normandy exploded in an unknown attack, you and 20 others of the Normandy Crew died. You were dead as dead could be when we found you and brought you here. The docs here brought you back to life.”

“So, what am I a clone or cybernetic construct or something?”

“No ma’am aside from some cybernetics to help aid your recovery you are who you are. You were just meat and tubes when we brought you here and it took a lot of patience to bring you back but, here you are.” He smiled quickly. 

Cassandra looked around her and moved to the seat and sat down. “What about my team, if they knew I was alive they would come straight here to get me.”

“I err doubt that Commander, once the Alliance declared you dead, they re-assigned the crew and the non humans left. They survived but doing other things or moved on. Sorry Commander they wouldn’t know where here was even if they were together.”

Cassandra nodded albeit distractedly “Who’s in charge around here?”

“That would be Director Lawson, you were her project, her baby and I doubt she would have let anything happen to you. She oversaw your arrival and um, resurrection. Miranda was very, um...well let’s just say she had a lot of late nights when we thought we were going to lose you.” 

“And the attack of the Mechs?” 

“Hell, if I know Commander, I was getting ready for some shut eye when Bam, Mechs everywhere started shooting up the place.” Jacob ran a weary hand along the back of his neck “Must have been a power glitch or something because they shouldn’t be shooting at us!” His face morphed from handsome to a deep scowl “Someone inside this facility re-programmed them, that’s the only answer for ... well this” he spread his arms to express his meaning. “I am Miranda’s top lieutenant and even I didn’t see this coming.”

“So, what, you’re head of security?”

“Something like that Commander. Have I sated your curiosity for now?” 

Cassie looked around and got to her feet. She nodded absently, still trying to absorb the fact she had been dead for two years. “For now, Taylor, yes” She murmured

“Which way to those shuttles?”

“This way Commander…”

_ **++Check, check, is there anyone on this channel? Its John Wilson, come on anyone else alive out there? ++** _

Jacobs eyebrows climbed and he touched his ear radio _**++Wilson, that you? It’s Jacob, where are you? ++**_

_ **++Server Room B and I got Mechs everywhere. ++** _

_ **++Hold on Wilson, I got Commander Shepard with me we’ll come get you and get off this station. ii** _

_ **++Shepard’s alive? What the hell…never mind just come find me and fucking hurry Taylor! ++** _

“Lead on Taylor, this is your station.” Cass muttered and giving the atrium a final look around she followed Jacob out through the door.

*****

Miranda Lawson was not one for mistakes, truth be told she could be a little OCD when it came to her work habits. Meticulous in every detail, she had a reputation as being something of an Ice Queen, the truth of the matter was, she was just perfect about how to do her job. For every problem one of her team solved, she found solutions to several more. It had been that way for the last two and a half years since they had recovered Commander Cassandra Shepard’s body. Late nights spent pouring over photos and vids of the first Human Spectre, and digging around to make sure the history of the Commander was right. She did not however plan for something like this. 

Now with the fused and smouldering Mechs around her, Miranda began to look back through the system, trying to pinpoint where the re-programme took place, and, more importantly; who did it. The why would come later when the boss would look deeper into the traitor’s accounts but for now, she just needed to find who…. Miranda paused as she looked over video footage from eight hours previous. Her grey blue eyes narrowed into slits as she got the answer she was looking for. “Sonofabitch” She murmured to herself. Well she had to leave but not before she sent the proof to her boss. He didn’t need to tell her what to do, she would just do it. That bastard would pay for what he did to her people. They did not deserve to die, not like that and not at the hands of someone that they had trusted.  
Miranda moved out of the wing she had been trapped in and flung several warp fields one after the other hitting them with a shockwave and sending Mechs either exploding or crumbling into nothing by molten slag. Unholstering her pistol she moved her dark brown locks behind her ear and readied her pistol. With a determined gait to her stride she made her way to the waiting shuttles, and her prey.

*****

_ **“Physical reconstruction of subject is complete, but we still have to evaluate all physical and neurological functions. Our orders were clear, bring Commander Shepard back the way she was, with the same morals, same mind and same personality before the explosion. If we alter her identity in any way, if she is not the same Commander Shepard who defeated Saren and his Geth and helped destroy the Reaper Sovereign, then the Lazarus Project would have failed,”** _

Jacob watched the Commander absorb this journal and stood beside her as Miranda’s journal finished. “You really are the same person Commander” he quietly affirmed.

“You think so?” She asked absently. 

“What’s the last thing you remember Commander?” Jacob pushed slightly. 

“Playing football with my dad and my twin brother.” Cassie remarked causing Jacobs eyes to widen, the panic rising in him as he thought for one moment the project had spectacularly failed. “I was playing in a place that was peaceful, no war, no council arguing every point I made, no councillor stabbing me in the back. Then I get brought back here.” Shepard focused her dark green eyes on the Lieutenant, “That’s the last thing I remember. How far are we from this Wilson?” 

“Just around the corner Commander.” Jacob stepped to one side to let her go first. 

Her words hung in his mind. They were supposed to bring the Commander back the way she was, and his mother had been a religious woman, church every Sunday, that there would be a life after death, had they brought the Commander back from that life of peace and tranquillity to this…well less than paradise world? That would explain how she looked uncomfortable in her own skin. 

They found Wilson where he said he would be, but Jacob had explained to her on the long walk to Sever Room B, that Wilson was a bio-med officer, he was a doctor and it was strange how he would be in the server room. Whilst Jacob tended to Wilsons wounds Cassie looked around her. There were some bodies in that same uniform with the disconcerting symbol that made her skin crawl. She looked at the Mechs, then back at the dead half dozen humans. They were not shot in the front, not how she would have expected had the mechs, from the position of their smouldering parts, been coming at them from the front. No, they had been shot, in the back. From someone they were not expecting. She looked back at Wilson as Jacob helped him to his feet. 

“I remember a Wilson once time, when I woke up, you were arguing the toss with Lawson, saying I was dead and that I should be spaced.” 

“Well, glad to see I was wrong.” Wilson joked as he limped around a bit before the medi-gel did its thing. “Didn’t think I would end up being saved by the mighty Commander Shepard” He grinned at her, “guess that makes us even.” 

“Not even close.” Cass glanced around her again as the mechs came back for more. She watched as Wilson overloaded the barrels of explosives and followed the cremating metal body parts as they came down to earth. 

“I came here to see if I could stop this, but the damn Mechs swarmed all over the place.” Wilson motioned to his dead comrades. 

“I didn’t ask what you were doing.” Jacob scowled “and come to think of it, why are you even in here? You work in Bio Wing; you shouldn’t even be in here.” 

“Didn’t you hear what I just said, I came to help. Look we need to get out of here.”

“No!” Jacob raised his finger “We need to find Miranda first.”

“Oh, come on, she was in D Wing, the mechs were swarming all over the place, there is no way she would have escaped.”

“Wilson you know as well as I that a buncha Mechs won’t drop Miranda” Jacob forcefully said as Shepard kicked some of the body parts out of the way. 

“Ok well why isn’t she here then, huh? She’s either dead or she started the whole process”

“No way!” Jacob glared “This was her project no way would she ever do something like that! Your head must have taken a knock to it if you even think that after all this time.” 

“Shepard what do you think?” Wilson deferred to the Commander. 

“Why would she wake me up just to have me killed, if she wanted to do that, she could have left me asleep.” Cassie folded her arms “But then I don’t know any of you so whom am I to say who is a traitor or not” She stood straighter “Once you two have done with your little pissing contest can we move to get off this damn slaughterhouse?” 

Jacob moved his gaze from the Commander to Wilson and back again, the Commander had a glint in her eye that he couldn’t quite explain it was as if she knew something, but wasn’t going to say anything about what that might be. Wilson however looked pleased that the Commander wanted to get off the station and was happy enough to have him at her back, too happy come to think of it. 

“Shepard look, this is getting way above intense, if I tell you who we work for, who it was that brought you back from the dead, will you trust me?”

“Jacob” Wilson warned “This is not the time or the place,”

“The Commander deserves to know the truth and waiting for a shot in the back is not going to help.” 

“You wanna piss off the boss it’s your call, don’t drag me down into it.” Wilson folded his arms. 

“Shepard, Commander, the Lazarus Project, it’s a Cerberus run organisation.”

Cassie stopped dead in her tracks. That was why the insignia on his armour unsettled her, that was why she was edgy all around this place. She snarled and without warning she punched Jacob clear across the room. 

“What did you want me to do Taylor, shake your hand and say thank you!” She snarled. 

“I thought you deserved to know the truth Shepard; the Illusive Man can fill you in.”

“If you think I am going to work for the Bastards that killed my brother and his unit and my unit on Akuze, you can think again.” She looked him over “I’ll get you off your damn station then, I am going back to the Alliance!” 

“The Alliance thinks you are dead Shepard.” Jacob got to his feet rubbing his jaw “They left you for dead, Cerberus brought you back, with the help of Liara that is.” 

Shepard stepped up again this time the gun under his jaw, she let a growl go from the back of her throat and for the briefest of moments it looked like she might actually shoot him, instead she shoved both him and Wilson in front of her “Keep fucking walking.” 

_Liara? Why would Liara do such a thing, he had to be lying, he had to be, there was no way Liara would help Cerberus, not after all they had done._

*****

_ **“Test subject has been recovered, but the damage is far worse than we initially feared. In addition to the expected burns and internal injuries from the explosion, the subject has suffered significant cellular breakdown due to long term exposure to vacuum and sub-zero temperatures. Despite the extent of the physical trauma, Wilson assures me the subject is salvageable. The Lazarus Project will proceed as planned.”** _

  
Cassie turned the journal off and followed both Wilson and Jacob to the far doors. “Ok just let me get this door and we’ll get you off here Shepard.” Wilson imputed a code on the locked doors which opened to reveal the angry features of…. “Miranda! But you’re….”

“Dead?” Miranda snarled coldly before shooting Wilson at point blank range “hardly, but you are now.”

Cassie turned her head as blood spilled everywhere turning the sterile white to bright red. 

“Miranda what the hell have you done!” Jacob ran up to her staring at Wilsons body “he was one of ours, we’ve known him for years!”

“He was responsible for the mechs acting the way they did, he was the reason everyone aboard this station is now dead.” Miranda holstered her gun. 

“You sure I mean you could have it wrong…”

“I am never wrong Jacob; you should know that by now.”

“The people in that Server Room were shot in the back.” Cass lowered her gun “Only he could have done that. The mechs didn’t they had been shooting from the front.” 

“Good instincts Commander, come on let’s get you off here, my boss will want to talk to you.”

“Yeah and I have a few questions for your Illusive man as well.” Cassie remarked “You and bloody Cerberus.”

Miranda heaved a heavy sigh and looked pointedly at Jacob. “Ahh Jacob, I should have realised your conscience would get the better of you.”

“If we carried on lying to the Commander, we wouldn’t be able to get her to join our cause Miri.” Jacob didn’t flinch under Miranda’s hard stare. 

“Anything else you want to know before we leave Commander?” Miranda asked her gaze not leaving Jacobs face for a moment. 

“Anyone else alive?” 

“Nope we are the only ones left, if there were any left alive then they would be here by now.” 

“But there could be.”

“There isn’t but by all means, if you want to remain here with the Mechs swarming and then get caught in another explosion when we detonate the place, be my guest.” Miranda finally shifted her gaze to the Commanders and held it, as sternly as Cassie held hers. 

Cassandra shook her head and, as much as she disliked the notion, this woman was right. She cocked her head a little, dark brown hair framed a face that was too severe to be anything but warm and welcoming. Her bedside manner leaved a lot to be desired too. The woman before her looked perfect, no noticeable flaws, too perfect. “I’ve had enough of this station to last me a lifetime.” She finally said. 

“Or in your case, two” Miranda added with the barest hint of a smile and without looking back, expecting them to follow her, she got into the waiting shuttle, programmed it with a predetermined course and sat in her seat. 

Miranda waited until Jacob and Shepard were in their seats, it would be several hours before they even reached their base. In her own mind she had to be certain that the Commander was the same, exactly the same She took a data pad from her jacket and looked up to see Shepard with her head against the window seemingly staring out the window and into the void, as if the billions upon trillions of stars could answer her unvoiced thoughts. 

“I think I need to make sure that your memories are intact Commander.” She announced without any preamble. 

“Oh, come on Miri,” Jacob scowled “the Commander is who she is, I can vouch for her combat skills personally.” 

“We still have to make sure.” Miranda asserted, “Or else the Illusive Man will not be convinced.” 

“Fire your damn questions” Cassie wearily replied, she hurt and every nerve in her body was screaming at her, the last time she had felt like this was when she had crawled out of the mess that was Akuze. 

“You were born a spacer, your family moving from one place to another, but how did you meet Jeff Moreau, the famous Joker of the Alliance?” Miranda asked. 

“Our mothers were friends.” Shepard sighed and closed her eyes a little “We met on Arcturus Station and were friends ever since.”

“Ok, you lost your entire squad except one, on Akuze, who did you meet and how did you find them?” Jacob asked. 

“Corporal Toombs, Andreas had survived the Thresher Maw attack, I ran into him on an isolated world in the Terminus systems where he told me what had happened to him.” Cassie raised her head “Cerberus scientists had experiments on him, to see how Thresher Maw blood affected the human body.” 

“Corporal Toombs was released from service and recently was declared fit after what Alliance officials claimed was a mental breakdown.” Jacob deliberately left out any mention of Cerberus. His throbbing jaw not wanting another connection with the Commanders fist. “Satisfied Miri?” 

“Nope, Commander on Virmire you left Kaidan Alenko to die,”

“No, I didn’t” Cassie shifted in her seat “Alenko set himself up on a suicide run, I sent my team in to get Ashley Williams and the Salarians while I got Alenko. I kicked him off my ship when we returned to the Citadel, Virmire still went up in a haze of nuclear fire though.”

“Yes, Lieutenant Alenko is now Commander Alenko although where he is no one knows.” Miranda nodded. “Something more recent?”

“Commander, after you defeated Sovereign and saved the council, you were asked to choose humanities representative on the council, who did you choose?” Jacob asked. 

“I chose Captain Anderson. Udina had already shown his true colours when he backslid on my entire mission to worm his way into and onto the council.”

“Yes” Miri smiled quickly “Councillor Anderson is Humanities voice on the Council although I believe he rather wishes he wasn’t”

“Can’t say I blame him” Jacob muttered “he was stabbed in the back like Shepard was.” Jacob got up and fixed three coffees and handed Miranda one for himself and one for Cassie. 

“What do you mean?”

“After you died,” Miranda sipped her coffee pulling a face, she preferred tea but well, this would have to do, “and once the Council got their collective heads out of their arses, they started to say that your words and visions were the actions of a delusional mind, stressed by the yearlong hunt for Saren and his Geth.” A raised eyebrow was all that Cassie gave her “Only Councillor Tevos backed Councillor Anderson but she even she admitted she had her scepticism about Sovereign being anything more than a Geth Dreadnought.” She put her data pad away “Well, your memory seems solid Shepard, we had better hope that this little field test is enough for the Illusive Man.” 

Cassie sipped her coffee, the taste harsh to her throat but it took away the dryness, even if she felt a little sick after the first couple of sips. She would have questions of her own for this Illusive Man, her memory was solid and she was not about to forget everything that Cerberus had done. Not just to her or her family, but Admiral Kahuku and his men, Andreas Toombs and anyone else that crossed their paths. 


	2. The Illusive Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Away from the Lazarus Station, Shepard meets Jack Harper, the Illusive Men.

_A day on the Citadel, in flux’s bar, Ash had refused to go to Chora’s Den, more to spare Tali her sensibilities, and so they didn’t have to deal with a blushing Liara. The guys had groaned but Flux was, in general, a popular choice, even getting a thank you from Jenna for getting her ass out of that place. Garrus had remarked that, Chelik would have kept her in the place if they had not intervened. “He’s a bastard like that.” The Turian snarled into his drink. _

_“Where next Commander?” Joker looked up as their fearless leader made her way over a tray of drinks in her hand, she had recovered from her injuries from the battle with Sovereign, and whilst this lot had been celebrating again, she had been in a meeting with Tevos. _

_“Geth hunting.” Cassie sat herself between Ash and Wrex. The collective groan was enough to show the displeasure. “We are going to drop Liara and an archaeological team at Ilos first, then take Garrus to Palavan, Wrex to Tuchanka and Tali back to the Fleet.” _

_“Well here’s to the next few months of boredom.” Ash raised her glass and leant against Shepard’s arm “We back with the Alliance Skipper?”_

_“Nope we are still under the Council rules and regs.” Cass winked and Ash lay her head against the Commanders shoulder. _

_“Good, I have got kind of spoilt now you know.”_

Shepard woke in a cold sweat, she sat upright in her bed and looked around her, the vestiges of her dream leaving her. The last day on the citadel, four weeks before they met their fate at the hands of whatever that was. She glanced at the wall clock, 04:40. They had arrived here at around 9pm Galactic Standard Time to be told the Illusive man would see them at 07:00. Miranda had suggested Shepard get some rest. More like ordered if the truth be told.   
Part of her wanted to get on the nearest shuttle, steal it if she had to, and make her way back to council space, but she had read the reports that Cerberus had gathered, they seemed genuine enough with both the Alliance and Citadel logos on them. They really had declared her dead. After six months. She had also read how Udina, with Sparatus and Valern urging hm, concluded that the Reapers were, nothing more than a myth. That Sovereign was a Dreadnought, albeit a highly advanced Dreadnought, but a Geth creation nevertheless. She also read how the three of them managed to overthrow Anderson and even Tevos’s words of caution. 

The Commander had fallen asleep after that and now after four hours she was awake. Miranda had told her that some of her things had been recovered from the wreckage of the Normandy and what there was had been put in a foot locker that was now at the end of the bed. Cass made herself a coffee and picking the locker up she set it on the table and opened it up, wincing mentally as she saw what remained of her possessions. A holopic of her and the guys at Flux’s, frowning to herself as she realised her dream was this. Anderson and the Doc had joined them. To be honest Shepard had thought there might be something between Karin and Greg Adams. If there was, it was their business. Pressley had joined them too with Adams and the pic had been taken by a drone. She let the smile ghost her lips before putting it down and picked up a pad, the image came up as soon as she pressed her finger against the screen. Before the Normandy set out on its doomed mission, they had a furlough, on Earth. It had given their alien friends a chance to see the beauty of the human Homeworld. Ash and Shepard along with Wrex and Garrus had gone rock climbing, while Tali listened to Joker tell her old stories and Liara had gone to a museum. The picture that surfaced as she touched the screen had been of Ash captured in a rare moment where the Gunnery Chief had her hair down and was laughing. Wrex had taken it and had slipped it into Shepard’s quarters on the Normandy. 

They had met Kaidan somewhere in space dock, off with his new crew of the_ SSV York_. Whilst he had greeted his former teammates with a smile and chatter, he had ignored Shepard completely. Not that Cassandra had gone out of her way to talk to him either. She still hadn’t quite forgiven him for the stunt he had pulled on Virmire. Karin, bless her, had tried to make amends between the Commander and Lieutenant but, it was to no avail. Cassie put the picture down and found a data chip. Bringing up her omni tool she scanned it and, much to her surprise found that it was in working condition, a little chipped around the edges but still it worked. She slipped it into the side of the omni tool and typed in a code, the last message she had recorded, the message that had led to her decision to save the Council played back to her. 

She looked up as Miranda came in with a medical kit and stood staring at the awake Commander. “I came to make sure you were ok” Miranda coolly spoke “Obviously you are awake so, you must be.”

“Obviously” Shepard dryly retorted and shut her omni tool off. She closed the lid of her footlocker down and swallowed some coffee “What do you need to check?” 

“Your implants. You took a lot of fire on the Lazarus Station and I want to check that they were not compromised.”

Cassandra gave Miranda a cold stare and, not for the first time wondered if Miranda was as clinical with everyone else as she appeared. Standing up the Commander let Miranda run her Omni tool over her, checking its readings then checking the Commander once more. 

“The Illusive Man will be pleased, no problems to speak off.” 

“I don’t give a rats arse what your Illusive Man thinks.” Cassandra growled “I am away from here as soon as I have seen him.”

“That would be your choice Commander,” Miranda Icily spoke “But you will see that Cerberus is doing the right thing.” 

“Right thing? They murdered an Admiral for getting too close. They butchered my unit on Akuze leading us into a Thresher Maw attack, and the one member of my squad who did survive was tortured with Thresher blood, which in case you don’t know Miss Lawson is pure acid.” Shepard closed the space between her and the Director “and they murdered a Marine unit by luring them to a distress beacon, planted right on top of a Thresher nest in the Artemis Tau cluster, one of whom was my twin brother!” Shepard clenched her fists and swallowed heavily. She took several deep breaths and stepped back, “Do not tell me that Cerberus does good.” She looked at herself in the mirror “You brought me back?” 

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to thank you Miranda?” 

“Well….”

“Ok, Thank you Miss Lawson, for taking me from the only damn peace I have ever known in the last few years.” Cassandra lowered her head “This had better be a good reason why you would take me from my dad and brother.” 

Miranda watched her for a moment and frowning a little she went to say something that might sound comforting, but the Commanders entire body Language told her not to even try, instead she looked at the clock and said “You might want to get a bit more sleep. I’ll come and get you in a couple of hours.”

****

Shepard blinked as the bright light assailed her senses. She had been told to step onto a platform and her body was read by some computer laser, what had been a few seconds of darkness revealed itself to be a room with a view of a bright burning star, a computer bank and a man, in an expensive dark suit with a coffee and a cigarette burning. 

“Shepard, I am glad to see you are awake, how you feeling? Sleep well?”

Cassandra folded her arms. “Don’t even go there. You have a damn lot of explaining to do to me.” 

The Illusive Man looked at her with those strange digital eyes. It made the Commander a little uncomfortable, she had always relied on being able to read her enemies by looking at their eyes. With those digital eyes, she was unable to get even a bead on him. “Shepard, I understand your reticence, but I had nothing to do with what happened to your unit, the Admiral or your brother, when I found out about that, I took steps to deal with it.” Harper took a drag on his cigarette and blew a lazy arc of smoke. “Yes, Cerberus looks for ways to improve humanity, but not, I repeat not, at the cost of human lives.” 

“The man that Toombs held hostage, Dr Wayne, said that he was untouchable, is that true?” 

Another inhale of smoke and a heavy exhale this time, it was the only show of irritation that she could discern. “Dr Wayne was wrong. Nobody is above the law. I tried reaching out to Corporal Toombs through our Veteran charity, but he was too mired in his own belief that Cerberus was to blame for what happened to him, to you all.” Harper picked his coffee up and took a sip “Dr Wayne died at your hands, I dealt with the others, the others that weren’t there the day you and your team ran roughshod though the base. I didn’t spend billions of credits bringing you back so I could justify what was done to you and your family or your unit, but if it makes you feel better, Admiral Kahuku’s family were compensated for what happened to him.”

Cassandra looked around her and for the moment she let her anger go. “So why did you spend all that money bringing me back?” 

“Because only you and I know the greater threat that’s out there.” Jack Harper got to his feet. The rest of the world would know him as the Illusive Man, a name that the Alliance gave him as well as the media. Jack Harper liked it, not many alive knew his real name. So, it was easy for him to defer to the name the media had given him. The less they knew about him, the better. 

“And what would that be that we know?”

“The Reapers are out there, and they are coming. The Alliance and Council have backslid on their promise. Oh, it wasn’t Anderson's fault, but they did not and could not see what you saw.” He shrugged and pointed. Cassandra looked down to see a coffee on a table that she hadn’t noticed when she first arrived in the room. 

“I read the reports.” She coolly replied picking the mug up and sipping it. “Although I did expect to meet you in person. Not through this, whatever this is.”

“It’s a necessary precaution, I assure you. Now as for why we found you and brought you back, human colonies have been going dark in the terminus systems. No one really links them because its random and the colonies themselves are seemingly insignificant. “

“So, alert the Alliance.”

“The Alliance are not doing anything about it, as I said they aren’t even sure there is anything to concern themselves with. They can’t be everywhere at once. So, they have put it down to slavers. But we know different.”

“You still haven’t told me how.”

“The Reapers that’s how.” 

Cassandra stood straighter when she heard those words. “The Reapers? Are you sure?”

“Almost positive Commander. The clues are in the data.”

“The Reapers want to harvest all organic life. Why pick on a few colonies?” 

“In the two years you have been sleeping, tens of thousands of colonists have vanished, that by its very definition fits the term of harvesting.” Harper pointed out. He allowed a slight smile to ghost his mouth as he saw the thoughtful expression cross Shepard’s face. It vanished as soon as she looked at him again. 

“Ok **IF** what you tell me is true and only **IF** then I might work with you.” Cassie conceded. 

“Good, I want you to go to Freedom’s Progress, it’s the latest world to be hit and so far, the Alliance has not got there.”

“What are you expecting to find?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t need to send you there. If you don’t find anything then, we can part ways no questions asked.” 

Shepard finished her coffee and gave the Illusive Man one last look. She nodded once and walked out of the circle, her image fading. She walked past Miranda and Jacob, stopped and said “Well are we going or what?” 


	3. Freedom's Progress and Tali.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whilst investigating the disappearance of the entire Freedom's Progress Colony, Shepard, Lawson and Taylor bump into some Quarians, and Shepard is reunited with an old friend.

As the shuttle flew through space Shepard sat on the opposite side from Miranda and Jacob, her feet up on the seat and reading up on Freedom's Progress, and the other known Colony worlds. Nu Paris, Johannesburg, Nu London, Edinburg and many more, too many more. All these worlds were on the fringes of the Terminus Systems, worlds that had gone dark, but with the time lag between one world going dark, then the next, it was easy for the Alliance to believe they had been victims of slavers. Cassie flicked through to the alliance report on Nu London, then Edinburg. “No one, no witnesses, not even one?” She looked at Miranda.

“No Commander, not even one. By the time we got on the scene there was nothing left. Alliance or scavengers had already picked the sites clean. This time we are hoping we get there first.”

“And you two have no problems taking my orders?” She asked reading up on Freedom's’ Progress. 

A small colony world, established maybe twenty-five years ago, a population of 912,810. This was disturbing to say the least. It was nothing special, it didn’t warrant this kind of attention, no slavers she knew off were able to abduct 912 thousand people. It would take a large force to do something like that, and that would take the element of surprise away, there was an Alliance garrison in the next system. 

“This was no slave grab” She muttered. “Even the Slaver attack on Mindoir didn’t take this many people, they killed a lot of people but didn’t take this many.”

“Exactly,” Jacob shifted in his seat. “We have no problem taking orders from you Commander, we didn’t bring you back to second guess you. If the Illusive Man says you are in charge, then that’s how it is.”

“Orders Shepard?” Miranda asked watching the Commander closely as she finished reading the details Cerberus had on this latest attack. 

“While we are searching for clues, take some time to look for any survivors, judging by the terrain and this valley that the main colony is sat in there could be some.”

“I doubt it Commander, there have been no survivors at any of the other colonies.” Miranda softly said “even sweeps of possible hiding places in mountains and caves have produced nothing.”

“Yeah but it would be nice to find someone.” Jacob sighed sadly although he agreed with Miranda. “Anyone would be a bonus, better than finding another ghost town.” 

“Still, have the shuttle fly over the area.” Cassandra swung her legs round “Just to be sure. We find out what happened here, no matter how long it takes. I want every inch of this colony gone over.”

“Understood, Commander.” Miranda replied and looked out the shuttle window “We’re coming in now.”

“Ok gear up” Shepard slipped back into her former skin, almost as if she had never left it. It was the only part of her now that seemed to fit her correctly. She moved to the weapons locker and took out an assault rifle and a pistol. She didn’t want to overload herself, although she took the grenade launcher too. Never knew when one might need it. Cassie held onto the side of the shuttle as it began its descent. She had forgotten how much she disliked shuttle landings. She really missed the Mako.

****

Jacobs ominous ghost town words did not even adequately describe what they found when they exited the shuttle. As they walked the colony weapons drawn but at rest, they didn’t even see any signs of battle. Miranda remarked at one point. Jacob had said it looked like they had sat down for dinner. Cassie couldn’t dispute either of their observations, they were spot on. 

**++Commander, its Danios, initial sweeps of the mountains show no human signs of life, do you wish me to continue round? ++**

**++Yes, just make sure. Shepard out. ++**

**++Copy that Danios out. ++**

Cassie cursed under her breath but she did not miss the “I told you so look” from Miranda. They walked through the abandoned habitats for what seemed like eternity, finding the same results in every home. Shepard stopped by one table and picked up a child’s teddy. She set it on the child bed, although she doubted it would be claimed again. As they came through the port, they found themselves under fire. “Mechs again!!!” She exclaimed as she ducked down behind a wall. 

“Someone must be here Commander.” Jacob yelled as Miranda tossed one of the mechs into the air for him to hit with a warp field. “They should not be firing on us.”

“That’s what you said about the ones on the station.” Cassie dryly said and telling the two Cerberus officers to duck she tossed a grenade at the Fenris Mech and its robotic handler. 

“Well, it proves your theory about survivors.” Miranda admitted, watching as the robotic limbs went everywhere in a rather nice explosion. “Someone programmed them to fire on us.” She brought her Omni tool up and after a moment brought up a plan of the colony. “Here is the security area, whoever programmed those Mechs must be in there somewhere.” 

“Then that’s where we head.” Shepard told them both. “Let’s move, and watch out for more Mechs.” 

The trio made their way across the concourse, this time taking their time and keeping a wary look out for more trouble. The Mechs they came across this time were already destroyed. That could have been the attackers. It was when they reached the admin block that they heard muffled voices behind the door.   
Shepard motioned for Miranda and Jacob to stand either side of the door, she counted down and opening the door raised her rifle and walked in with her companions falling into step either side of her, to find four Quarians. 

“What the hell!” The male stood up and raised his own rifle, “Cerberus!!” 

“Wait!” A female voice came from around the corner, “Prazza put your weapon down, we are not here to fight!”

“But they are Cerberus!”

“I said Put your weapon down!” 

Cassie's eyes widened behind the visor as she recognised the young woman before her. “Tali?” She lowered her rifle and motioned for Jacob and Miranda to do the same. “Tali is that really you?”

“Cassandra?” Tali turned slowly at the voice she had thought never to hear again.

Tali watched as the Commander removed her helm and stared as features, she had long consigned to the land of the dead stared back at her. Tali walked towards the Commander and put her hand to the face, a soft smile was her greeting. “I – I can’t believe it Cass, is – is it really you?” 

Cass took Tali’s hands in hers and softly said “Did that data on the Geth help you with your Pilgrimage Tali?” 

Tali nodded, it had to be her, no one else but her and their old crew new about that. “Put your guns away Prazza,” Tali ordered over her shoulder “This is definatly Commander Shepard.” Tali put her arms round her old friend and hugged her. Cass had to swallow the lump in her throat as she returned the hug. Since she had woken up, she had felt so alienated from the world, disconnected, disjointed even, but here, on this desolate shit hole of a colony world, she had found one of the people who had truly matter to her. 

“It’s good to see you too Tali’Zorah Nah Ryah.”

“It’s Vas Neema now,” Tali told her as they broke their hug “I got a new ship.”

“Wait a minute.” Prazza narrowed his eyes “If this is your old Captain Tali, why is she working with Cerberus?”

“I don’t know. Cass why with Cerberus?” 

“Wow I get some serious tension here.” Cassandra looked between Prazza, Jacob and Miranda, “Something I need to know?” 

“Oh, it was a, misunderstanding, nothing more.” Miranda responded, not wanting to waste time on this pointless reunion. 

“It was a little more than a, misunderstanding.” Prazza shot back “Your people ambushed the Flotilla, nearly blew up a ship and killed some of our people.”

“I wouldn’t have put it like that, exactly.” Miranda sighed. 

“Well whatever it was,” Shepard looked at Miranda and arched an eyebrow. “We can deal with it later. Tali Cerberus rebuilt me I guess you could say. They say the Reapers are behind the attacks on human colonies.”

“What? Nobody rebuilds a dead human, not even the first human Spectre.” Prazza scoffed. 

Shepard ignored him and focused her attention on Tali. “What are you doing here?” 

Tali led Cassandra off to one side and sat against a table, an oddly human action but then Tali had picked up a lot of human mannerisms from her time aboard the Normandy. She had, as Shepard recalled, spent as much time as she could getting people out of engineering and to the escape pods, joining Ash and the others on the main deck until the last moment when they were blasted into space and saw the destruction of their ship and Commander. 

“We are looking for a Quarian. His name is Veetor, he came here for his Pilgrimage, it was what he always wanted to do, help a human colony. He is not good with others. He has always been nervous.”

“So, he could have programmed the Mechs that attacked us as we came through to the port.” Cass rubbed her jaw. 

“We saw him as we landed. He ran off, something scared him Shepard,” 

Cassandra nodded, if he had seen what had happened to the humans of this world, then she needed to at least speak to him. He might come out if he saw that the three humans were with his own people. Give him a sense of security. 

“Have you seen anyone else?” She asked suddenly. 

Tali was silent for a long time, her own thoughts were a whirr, more as to how Cerberus had managed to heal Cassandra, she had been declared dead, Tali had even gone to her ‘funeral’ and met her mother. 

“Liara was somewhere on a Prothean dig the last I heard, but I haven’t seen her in nearly a year and a half. Wrex, I think something you said to him festered a bit and last I heard he had gone home. Garrus was with C-SEC last I heard, I saw Kaidan a few months ago and I used to catch up with Ash up until 6 months ago.” 

“How’s she doing?”

Tali shrugged “You know Ash, she will want to know you are still alive Cass,”

“Yeah, I’ll figure out how to tell her before I actually tell her.” Cass grimaced, that was not a conversation she was looking forward to. “Ok, so, I need to find Veetor. Split up?”

“Yes,” Tali agreed, pleased to get back to the subject at hand “You will need our help to get past the defences Veetor has set up.”

“What defences?”

“He has a YMIR Mech.”

“Oh shit.” Cass rolled her eyes “Ok, give me the rundown.”

Tali turned and brought her Omni-tool up. Hers was far more detailed than even Miranda's and Cass grinned as she saw the clearer lay out of the buildings. Tali projected it onto the wall which brought Miranda and Jacob over. 

“He is in a security bunker; I think this is where the security cameras were kept. There are Mechs in the main plaza.” Tali explained “if you come through here,” She highlighted what looked like shops and restaurants. “I can open these doors here and that should lead you to him.”

“Ok got it,” Miranda tapped some info onto her Omni tool. 

“Right, Tali use the radio frequency we used in the old days.” Cassie told her. 

Tali set her radio to the old call sign “We’ll leave now, and Cassie, it is good to see you. I have missed you,”

“I missed you too little sister.” Shepard smiled softly and watched as Tali left with her people. “Ok let’s move. Sooner we get that info, the sooner I get back to my life.” 

“Right behind you Commander.” Miranda acknowledged. 

“Double time it people.” Shepard added and left shortly after Tali and her people.

****

Tali was distracted, that much was evident in the way she walked and occasionally spoke. She had grown tired of defending Shepard to Prazza and had finally snapped at him to shut the fuck up. That alone shocked the other Quarian into silence as Tali had never been known to curse. Whilst Tali was overjoyed to see her friend alive and well, she too was concerned that she was with Cerberus operatives, and they both looked like the people Liara had described to her a couple of years ago. Tali had learnt not to push Liara for answers, she had become something of a recluse following Cassie's death. 

Ok she knew that Liara had a thing for the Commander, even when Cass was with Ashley, Liara was not good at hiding her feelings back then. The last time Tali had seen Liara, it had been like talking to a stranger. It was only when Prazza ordered his people to find Veetor and get him away before the Cerberus people got there that she realised her orders were being undermined. 

“What are you doing Prazza! You take orders from me!”

“No!” Prazza told her in no uncertain terms. “I do not believe that is your old Commander, I do not think you can rebuild a human from scratch and if you want to believe that is your old Captain then that’s your problem. You do know what they will do to Veetor right?”

“Shepard won’t let that happen!” Tali was adamant, yes Shepard had been known to walk the moral grey path every now and then, but only if there was not another way. “Cerberus killed her team and her brother; she would not let them take Veetor!” 

“You might want to believe that Tali, but I am taking no chances with Cerberus operatives.” 

Tali shouted at him to stop but it was to no avail. She saw the drones before anyone else and tuning into the old frequency she had in the old days, she warned Shepard. _**++On our way++**_That was not Shepard’s voice that was the man with her. Tali scowled a little, seemed they did not want to be cut out of any conversation either. 

_ **++Tali, it’s Shepard, how many drones? ++** _

_ **++Six and they are heading your way, ++** _

_ **++Can you distract Prazza before we get there? ++** _

_ **++I can try but he really does not want Cerberus getting to Veetor. He thinks they want to take him away. ++** _

_ **++I promise you Tali that isn’t going to happen. Get yourself to safety and open the doors on my mark. ++** _

Tali heard the explosions of the drones from outside the central security block. She did allow herself a wry smile, where ever Shepard went, there was always explosions. It was one of the things she missed sometimes. Something exciting always happened around Shepard, be they gunshots, explosions or a night on the town, the Commander always knew how to find fun things to do. The explosions continued for another few moments, then she heard nothing until Shepard’s voice told her to open the doors. 

Tali did as she was told and then bolted into the nearest building, it looked like a house for the security staff, or the small planetary defence force that was here. She had researched the world herself on the way here. A small garrison of Alliance forces had been stationed here, along with trained planetary defence operatives. That didn’t seem to have done them any good. They, like the rest of the inhabitants of Freedom’s Progress was gone. 

All Tali could do was bunker down and watch in horror as the YMIR Mech opened fire on Prazza and his team. Those who had done as Tali asked managed to drag a couple of injured Quarians into the safety of the house, but Prazza and his men were not so lucky. The YMIR stood on the body of one Quarian woman, before offloading some rounds into her head. As hardy as they were, Quarian body suits were not built for that type of close-range fire. Tali lowered her head as the Quarian, a woman she knew as Feralia Vas Neema, had her own head opened like a melon and her brains dashed inside her helm and on the concrete below. The YMIR sent rockets after Prazza and the rest of his team, blowing them apart like rag dolls. When Shepard and her companions came through the doors, the blood of the Quarian dead was everywhere, the Mech even left giant bloody footprints as it turned its attention to the three new targets. 

“Damn it!” Shepard snarled as a rocket blew past her. “Miranda, take down its damn Shields, Jacob keep hitting it with a Warp field, Miranda when I say now, you hit it with Overload.” Shepard ordered and readied her rocket launcher. 

It was not easy going, they had to keep moving to dodge it’s targeting auspex and more than once Shepard had to pull Miranda or Jacob out the way of its line of fire. 

“Now!” She ordered. 

As soon as the Warp and Overload sparks hit it, it staggered back and Shepard fired three rockets straight at it, they ducked inside a building as the Mech started to crumble and die in its own explosion that blinded the three humans for a few seconds. Only when it was quiet did the humans move. The smell of blood and fuel heavy in the air. “Tali!” Shepard called around her when she saw the pieces of Quarian bodies that were scattered about. “TALI!” She yelled this time. 

“I am fine Shepard” Tali stepped out from her hiding place “You go find Veetor I will join you once I have tended the wounded.”   
Raising her rifle once more, the Commander, Miranda and Jacob moved to the security bunker. This time they were taking no chances. This mission had already been much more than a search and retrieve.

****

  
“Swarms, swarms, little swarms, everywhere, not found me but will, can’t let them find me.” 

Shepard lowered her rifle as they entered the complex. There sitting at a desk talking at least faster than a Salarian was a Quarian, he sounded young, maybe the same age as Tali, if he was on Pilgrimage that would put him at about maybe 18 or 19. He didn’t respond when Shepard called his name, nor when Miranda or Jacob. Not wanting to scare the already frightened youth to death, Shepard raised her own Omni tool and turned the screens off. When Veetor stood up he seemed almost surprised to see Humans. 

“You…Seekers didn’t find you? How did you survive.”

“Whoa Veetor” Cassandra held her hands up “I am a friend of Tali’s, my name is Cassandra, were you here when the colonists were taken?” 

Veetors head darted from the Commander to the door then back again. “They didn’t find me; I was fixing something when they came, I hid here.” He put the screens back on to show the aliens that had, indeed abducted the colonists. Shepard walked towards the screens and stared at the bipedal insect like creatures that had, across the screens, carried the humans and slung them into what appeared to be pods. “What the fuck.” She muttered. 

“Collectors” Miranda muttered. 

“What?” Shepard looked sharply at her. 

“No one knows what they are really called, and any who have dealt with them simply call them the Collectors.” She explained. 

“Yeah but they rarely come through the Omega 4 relay.” Jacob frowned “and how come they didn’t take Veetor?” 

“Swarms, swarms sting humans, humans go down, don’t move.” Veetor explained again. 

“Could be some sort of paralyses.” Miranda mused, her own scientific mind at work. 

“Yeah but why didn’t they take Veetor.” Shepard echoed Jacobs question. 

“Maybe the swarms didn’t find him because of his enviro-suit.” Jacob shrugged answering his own question.

“Or maybe they are just programmed to attack humans, it is only humans who have been taken remember.” Miranda told them, 

“You think they are working for the Reapers?” Shepard asked stepping back from the desk, 

“More than likely.” Miranda agreed “we need that Omni tool data take the Quarian and…”

“Like hell you will!” Tali came in behind them, the aggression in her voice plain and even made Cassandra look at her friend a little differently. “You can take his data but Veetor is sick, injured and he needs medical attention. Cassie please let me take him.” 

“Oh right, and you think we should trust you after the last little stunt your people pulled.” Miranda snarled. 

“Prazza was a fool and he and his men paid for it,” Tali snapped back her hand wavering towards her shotgun. “Cassie…”

“Veetor.” Shepard rested a hand on Tali’s shoulder “is injured and sick, and if you think I am going to let your ‘doctors’ anywhere near him think again.” She told Miranda in no uncertain terms “Tali will send us the data and Veetor goes back to the Migrant Fleet, are we clear?” 

“Crystal clear, Commander.” Miranda quietly said. 

“Good.” Shepard gave them both a pointed look and turned her attention to Tali. “I wish you could come with me Tali, it would be good to have someone I trust with me.”

“I can’t Cass, I have my own mission to do, once I am done with that maybe I can help you, if I find anything else though I will forward it to you.” Tali told her “I am so glad you are alive.” 

Shepard nodded, understanding where Tali came from, to the young Quarian, the fleet would always come first, and she would not have it any other way. “Keep in touch Tali.”

“Shepard, the Collectors don’t venture further than Omega.” Tali added “We have done some business with them but always through intermediaries.”  
“If they are working for the Reapers Tali, then no one is safe. Take care out there.”

“You too.” Tali nodded at her and gently led Veetor away, ignoring Jacob and Miranda completely. In her heart of hearts, she knew that was her friend, not a clone, not a human turned into Cassandra, but her friend. 

Shepard looked back at the frozen images on the screen and with a sinking feeling knew in her gut, in her veins, that she would have to work with Cerberus, whether she wanted to or not. “Collect what you can from here then let’s move out.” Cassandra made her own way out and went back to the home she found the teddy in. She picked it up and looked at it. She doubted she could return the bear to its own but she took it anyway. To remind herself what she would be doing this for, and why she was selling her soul to the devil.


	4. Joker, The Normandy and Dr Chakwas.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First there was the reunion with Tali, now Shepard is reunited with old friends, friends she can trust.

So that had been that.

  
Cassie had a debrief with the Illusive man who, although surprised by the Quarians keeping their word about sending the data to him, had not been surprised to discover the Collectors were behind the abductions, and, like Shepard, had echoed her thoughts about the Reapers being the real power behind this. To say he had been pleased about Shepard agreeing to work with him had been an understatement. Cassie had made it clear that she did not trust him or his organisation, and if she discovered anything that proved what had happened three years ago had been done with his knowledge, then she would kill him herself. 

For now, she was waiting to meet the pilot of the ship she would be using. She was not best pleased about having to take Miranda and Jacob with her, and fully expected to be working with a fully human team. When she read the dossiers over dinner though, she was taken aback. A Salarian? The Illusive Man was getting her to work with a Salarian and a Krogan? He must have been more desperate than she thought. Or maybe, Cerberus was reaching out to the other races, or maybe he is just playing you to get you to work for him. That cynical voice in her head spoke Whatever his reasons, they were sound, for now. He had accepted that she would not trust him, and he had told her that she could trust the pilot. 

Cassie looked at her watch and was about to go watch a vid when her door knocked. “It’s open.” She called over her shoulder as she searched through the library looking for some action movie, or maybe something to help her sleep. 

“Cassie!” 

She straighted as she heard the voice and turned slowly, her jaw dropping for the second time in as many days. “Joker!” She leapt the sofa and almost, almost caught him in a bone crushing hug, then remembered that if she hugged him too hard, he would have crushed bones. Besides Joker was not one for sentimentality. To her surprise however he hugged her back, and he was walking without his braces. “Look at you, how the hell?” 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Joker stepped back and looked away for the moment, his eyes watering, He had known the Commander since they were kids on Arcturus Station, he had seen her spaced, seen her die, but here she was, standing before him. Cass spared him the embarrassment and to get them both a beer or two. Letting him collect himself. 

Jeff stood watching her for a long time. Or it seemed like a long time. He had blamed himself, although the others had never expressed any such accusation, he thought they blamed him too, if he had not wasted precious time trying to save the Normandy, then she would not have been blown into space, she would not have died saving him. When the Brass at Arcturus did not listen to him or Ash, and grounded him, he lost all respect for the Alliance then. They even tore his friend’s reputation to shreds, well with help from that fuckwit Udina, and he was disappointed that Anderson had not made a better defence for the Hero of the Citadel. 

“So, what’s with the legs?” Cassie pointed out, waving him over to the sofa. 

“Miranda had a medical team work on them, they aren’t healed completely and my bones won't ever be as strong as yours, but they are better than they were a few months ago.” Joker sat down and took the bottle she handed him, watching as she sat next to him. “But I saw you die Cass, when they told me who I was coming to see, well I thought it might be a clone or something.”

“I think that’s what Tali thought when she saw me a few days ago.” Shepard ruefully admitted. 

“You saw Tali? Where is she?” Joker looked around thinking that she might have come back with the Commander, he always liked Tali ever since he had first met her. 

“Off on some missions somewhere for the fleet.” Shepard sighed “I think Cerberus put her off, but why are you with them.” 

“Long story.” Joker scowled but as his blue eyes met the Commanders, he knew she would want an explanation. “When we reached Arcturus Station the brass kept us all in separate rooms questioned us for days. Then under _recommendations_,” his voice took on a sarcastic tone “from Udina and the Council, well the Turian and Salarian anyway, they tore your reputation to shreds. Ash said Udina was part of it because you didn’t name him councillor. I just got mad that Anderson didn’t defend you, for fucks sake Cass you were his godchild, your dad was his best friend.” Joker took an angry sip of beer, and it tasted that good, he did it again. “The Alliance split all the human crew up. Liara, Garrus, Wrex and Tali left and I don’t even want to know where they sent Ashley or the doc, Adams was sent to another ship and that was it. They grounded me so when Cerberus contacted me with an offer to fly again, I joined them.” 

Cass put the sports channel on and settled for a baseball game. Terra Nova Miners against Eden Prime Rangers. “Do you trust the Illusive man?” Cassie asked settling back. 

“I don’t trust him in any way shape or form.” Joker told her “and I don’t trust anyone who make more than me. But I saw you spaced!” 

“They brought me back” Cassie sighed “only this has got a lot of strings attached to it.”

Joker got to his feet and grinned a little “Come on Cass they said I could take you to see the ship.”

Cassie scowled a little but getting up she walked with Joker out of the apartment area and down towards the dock windows. He was silent but had a slight joyful limp to his gait. “This was the reason I joined them, that and finding out they had helped bring you back. This I was told about last night.” Joker pressed the intercom “bring the lights on, show the Commander the new bird.”

The lights slowly began to light up the vessel that had, until now been cloaked in darkness. Cassie felt her heart begin to slow and blood rush to her ears as the lights teased over the shape of the ship before finally coming up to reveal a frigate that was the exact shape if not bigger. Cassandra started, wondering how it was Cerberus had even managed to get the design for this ship let alone the materials, and how had they managed to build it without anyone finding out. 

“She needs a name Cass,” Joker arched an eyebrow “and it’s good to be home, right?” 

Cassie lent into the intercom “Normandy” She spoke to the faceless voice on the other side “She’s to be called Normandy.”

She was decked in the black and gold of Cerberus but both her and Joker looked past that. To them it was their baby, their ship. Bigger than before. She was there reborn like Shepard. Cassie looked at Joker. “When can we board her?”

****

Walking along the deck of the Normandy was like stepping back in time. Only it was bigger. Cassie took a long moment to look around her and turned to see Joker wave at her from his chair. Everything was bigger, the CIC, whilst sticking to the Turian design was a little different in its height. She walked past it to see a terminal that she was told was her own personal terminal, and instead of a comms room behind her, there was a lift. 

Miranda was to be her XO, and it was she who gave the Commander a tour. The tech lab was something else entirely. Everything they would need in the fight against the Collectors could be made here. Miranda showed her the briefing Room/Comms room and beside that was the armoury, this was where Jacob would be stationed, it was his job to oversee the arms of the weapons the squad were using. Once she had built her squad.

Getting in the lift Miranda showed her to the engineer’s deck, and she stared, the drive core was bigger but better housed. She nodded at the Engineers but for the moment she listened as Miranda explained how they essentially built the Normandy around the engine. She was taken down to the hanger deck and then taken to the crew deck. Miranda handed her a coffee and had one for herself. “Your quarters are top of the shop.” Miranda told her, “just go into the lift and press Captains Cabin, it will take you straight up. Go ahead Commander I will meet you in the CIC” 

Shepard, taking her coffee and glancing at the med bay seeing a shadow move within, she didn’t go in yet best let the doctor get used to their department before she even went in. She pressed the button and came out of the lift and then walked into her quarters. 

“Holy shit.” She said to herself. A huge tank, a raised desk with a display cabinet for whatever. On her desk was a picture of her and Ash, probably Jokers doing. A bed and a seating area. This was going to take some getting used to. As far as she knew Captains and Admirals had plush cabins like this, not Commanders.   
She turned, cast a look back once more then returned to the CIC deck. She didn’t want to wear a Cerberus uniform so she wore a pair of jeans, a N7 shirt and a leather jacket with the N7 designation. Miranda had got hold of them from an old alliance friend of hers apparently. She walked onto the deck to see Miranda and Jacob talking. 

“Ah Commander,” Miranda wore a black uniform with gold trim this time, although it did nothing to hide her figure, it did make her look less like she was trying to bust out of it and more, well more XO material. Although how she would respond to going from the boss to the second in command, well time would tell Shepard supposed. “Jacob and I were just looking over the next move.”

“Yeah, we’re in Omega territory and both the people we want are on Omega.” Jacob sighed, “make that three people we want.”

“I read the dossiers. What do we know about this Zaeed Massani?” Cassie asked glancing past Jacob to see Joker looking like he was in heaven. 

“A Freelance Mercenary with a reputation or bringing them in dead or alive. Not much else is known about him, except that he was instrumental in bringing down the Turian frigate Verrikan.” Jacob explained, “After he pulled that off it seemed his reputation grew.” 

“Ok, what about Archangel?” Cassie sipped some coffee. 

“Another Merc, who, according to Omega records, is hell bent on destroying the established gangs who work Omega. Other than that, we have no idea who he or she is, why they are doing what they are doing or if we will even find them.” Miranda replied “and if they are taking down the gangs of Omega, one has to wonder if they will be gunning for Aria next.”

“Who?”

“Aria T’Loak, the “ruler” of Omega, you will meet her soon enough Shepard. We are going to have to deal with her if we want to get to Archangel and the last man on the list, Mordin Solus, a Salarian Scientist who we know was connected to the Salarian Special Tasks Group or STG.”

“I know who the STG are.” Cassie murmured “Why are Cerberus recruiting aliens, out of curiosity?”

“You yourself said it Commander,” Jacob pointed out “At some point the Reapers are going to stop just harvesting humans and turn their attentions to the other races.”

“And we need this Salarian because?”

“His scientific skill, with the seeker swarms that Veetor described, he may be able to come up with something to counteract their effects.” Miranda explained. 

“Collecting Professor Solus does seem to be a logical start to the mission.” A female voice echoed through the CIC and Shepard turned around expecting to see a person, what she saw was a holographic image that flashed as it spoke. 

“And you are?” She asked, not sure if she would like the answer. 

“I am the Enhanced Defence Intelligence. The crew refer to me as EDI, I am the Normandy’s Artificial Intelligence.”

“Nobody told me there would be a damn AI on the ship, get it out of here now!” Cassie growled. 

“Have I offended?” EDI enquired. 

“Shepard had runs in with the Geth and then the rogue Hannibal system on Luna.” Miranda gently explained, “She probably isn’t used to a shackled AI EDI.” 

“Unlike some Organics, your scepticism and caution are warranted Shepard. I assure you I mean no harm to you or the Crew. You are my crewmates and my jobs are to observe and defend the Normandy. I am also available for information on the places you will be going and whom you will be meeting.” The image vanished and Shepard took several deep breaths. 

“Sovereign anyone?” She glared at both Miranda and Jacob. 

“EDI is not like Sovereign Shepard; I personally guarantee that.”

“Right Lawson, and when she takes over the ship then I’ll remind you of that.” Cassie rubbed her brow and shrugged “Ok so you and Jacob go settle in wherever you are going to be and we will head down to Omega in an hour.”

“Of course, Shepard.” Miranda walked off. Jacob snapped to attention and made his way to the Armoury. 

Cassandra made her way towards Joker, hearing her name whispered every now and then as she walked past the crew at their stations. She ignored it for now and walked onto the Pilots deck. 

“Cass look…look!” Joker grinned like a schoolboy “It’s my baby, back, alive, our baby.” He corrected “and she is oh so beautiful and sleek I mean look leather seats!!!” 

“Joker this is nothing like the real Normandy.” 

“Yeah but, look my seat on the original Normandy was ok but it got hard to get comfortable after a while but this chair, its built for me in mind. Leather seats Shepard come on. You know a first gen frigate is not built for comfort and this is probably more geared to the civilian sector where they let the seats breathe.” 

“The Normandy was not built for your comfort, Mister Moreau.” Cassie glanced at the holographic representation of EDI as it appeared beside Joker. 

“and ok theres the downside. I loved the Normandy when she was sleek, beautiful and quiet, now she is sleek, beautiful and noisy!” Joker glared at the holo image. 

“Problem?” Cassie asked folding her arms. 

“Mister Moreau is insulted that I am installed aboard “his” ship,” EDI explained with what the Commander could tell was more than a little sarcasm, 

“Oh yeah well you know rogue AI almost destroying galactic civilisation,” Joker shot back. “Just so you remember. Cassie, do we need this here, I don’t need the Normandy to remind me the airlock door is ajar or I’ve forgotten to zip my fly up or something.”

“I am not a fan either Joker but it's here now so, we have to deal.” Cassandra sat in one of the co-pilots seats. 

“Oh, come on, you telling me you haven’t noticed the nosey systems we have.”

“What? what nosey systems?”

“Tell her smart mouth” Joker looked at EDI. 

“The Illusive man has installed monitoring devices aboard the Normandy, he has spent a considerable amount of money on you and this ship, he wishes to ensure that it is being run, as he wishes it to be run.” EDI explained. 

“Yeah and I suppose you can’t turn them off?” Cassie didn’t want her privacy invaded, and she certainly did not want the integrity of her ship violated by a man who, from reputation and her own dealings with him so far, had told her he liked to be in control, of everything. 

“I can turn the devices off in your quarters Commander.” EDI offered. 

“Then so do.” She murmured and saw Jokers expression, “Don’t even think about it mister. You forget I have known you for too long.” 

Joker grinned and then looked at his own systems and nodded to himself “Well what do you know, your quarters spy free Commander.” 

“Thanks, so, why does the Normandy need an AI?” She looked at EDI. 

EDI was silent for a moment and when she spoke, she explained about how her systems operated the Normandy’s state of the art Cyberwarfare programmes, how she could infiltrate and enemy vessel and over take its weapons, pilot control and even shut down the air filtration systems. She could also unleash viruses into their systems so that they could not operate. Even though she was an AI Cassie had to admit to a grudging respect for that alone. She also understood that an AI could work faster at such calculations and actions then and organic or VI. However, any questions about Cerberus aside from the ones the Illusive Man allowed her to know about, EDI was unable to answer. Anything to do with the hierarchy she got a more ambiguous answer, anything to do with finances and resources and how many operatives there were, EDI could not or was not allowed to answer, due to blocks on her hardware. 

She looked at Joker who shrugged, unlike the crew here, she suspected only her and Joker knew that Cerberus was trouble. No matter how much the Illusive Man covered it all up or sugar coated it. “So, what happened to everyone else?” She asked Joker. 

“Well you know Tali went back to the fleet, Garrus went back to C-Sec, I have not got a clue what happened to Ash, all hush hush I think, she was whisked into a meeting with Hackett and Anderson that much I do know. Liara, probably poking around some Prothean ruin. Wrex, well he travelled a bit then went home.” Joker shook his head “We were your team Commander and that Admiral you wouldn’t allow to inspect the Normandy; he was vocal about how you had aliens on your crew.” 

“Oh yeah, right the one who said I was, jeopardising Alliance Security” 

“Yeah Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, he was, not kind about what you said, but Hackett overruled him, still the team got torn up, and put elsewhere or left. Most of the crew survived but Pressley didn’t. He died on the bridge with others. Ash and Tali got most of the decks cleared, Liara was helping the Doc, get the wounded into shuttles. Wrex and Garrus were keeping passageways clear.” Joker looked away for the moment, not wanting to add about what they had been doing, “So we are keeping her right, this Normandy? Seems a shame to waste her.”

“Why? Because you suddenly got comfortable seating?” Cassie asked with a slight smile to her face, 

Joker gave her a look and began to turn around to face the front “Leather!!” he drawled.

Cassie got up and patting his shoulder she dropped a kiss on his forehead “Good to have you with me Jeff, take us into Omega we can refuel and get supplies, while Miranda, Jacob and myself go meet with this Zaeed, Salarian and whoever the hell Archangel is. “

“Roger that Commander.”

****

  
Cassandra had walked the ship, she had met the engineers, and liked the two lead Engineers, Ken Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels. To hear their banter, it had been like listening to Tali and Greg Adams, when she would hear them bull over engines. She thought she better check in on the doctor, not that she wanted to. A Cerberus doctor conjured up some images in her head she didn’t want to think about, although when she walked through the door, she was drawn into a bear hug and to her surprise, once she was realised, she was looking in the features of her mother's’ closest friend. 

“Aunt Karin!” she gasped and hugged her again. “When did you? How…I mean…”

Karin Chakwas smiled warmly, she steered the Commander to a seat and sat across from her holding her hand. “Let me look at you.” She softly spoke and for what seemed an age her grey blue eyes roamed the features of the young woman before her. “Commander Cassandra Shepard, the Hero of the Citadel, the first Human Spectre and my goddaughter.” 

“Doc, how did they get you here? Your Alliance through and through.” As much as Cassie couldn’t have contained her joy at someone she trusted as much as she trusted Joker, she wanted to know how Cerberus had managed to convince Karin Chakwas, a woman who by her own admission, had foregone wanting a family of her own to pursue a career she thought worthwhile. 

“I was placed on the Medical facility on Mars.” She explained “It was a prestigious posting but well, you know me Cassie, I have to fly, with the mess Udina was kicking up, that was not going to happen, and when the Illusive Man contacted me and told me who I would be working with, well how could I not come here.” Karin stroked the Commanders cheek affectionately “and I had to see with my own eyes if it was really you. The Alliance never found your body darling, now I know why.”   
Cassandra nodded and sat back in her seat. To see the woman that had been like an aunt to her and her twin brother was everything that she could ever hope for.

She looked at the ground, her brow sadly creasing “Has anyone told my mum I am alive?” She quietly wanted to know. She had been the one to tell her mother about Alan, she could only imagine what her mother had gone through when she was told her last and oldest child was dead. 

“I spoke with Hannah before I came aboard, I told her I would check the rumours out and let her know Do you want me to tell her?” 

Cassandra thought for a long time. Of course, she would love to talk to her mother, nothing was more important in the world to her, but she couldn’t be certain that the Illusive Man would not listen into such a private conversation. Hell, when Joker and that EDI had mentioned about monitoring devices, she became more concerned about just how much that bastard controlled around here. 

“EDI”

“Yes Shepard?” She turned at the holographic EDI 

“What are the chances of any mail from here to the Alliance being intercepted.” 

EDI was silent for a moment then said “If Doctor Chakwas wishes to inform your mother of your living status, I can send the message, if you wish to minimise intrusion,”

“Send it through EDI Doc,” 

“Will do. I am here for you and Jeff, not Cerberus,” She added “I want to make that clear. With Human colonies vanishing someone has to remind you that the Alliance has not forgotten you at least one part of it.” Karin chuckled a little. “and I will let your mother know you are alive and well.” 

“Thanks Karin tell her; I’ll call her when I can. Might not be for a while but I will call her when I am able to.” 

“Leave it to me Cassie, I’ll see to it.” Karin promised and watched as the Commander got to her feet. 

“I’ll check in with you later Doc” Cass stopped by the door “It’s good to see you again, I am glad you are here.”


	5. Omega and Zaeed

Walking out from the embarkation doors, Cassandra, Miranda and Jakob took a long look around. Omega was not exactly the place people came for a holiday. Nothing seemed to work, unless it had a boot to it, or a wrench. Cass had never been to Omega, but she had sure as hell heard of it. David Anderson had told her enough stories about how this shit hole, was the only place in all the Terminus Systems that was run by gangs. People came here to get under the radar of Council Space, or the Alliance authorities. Anything and everything on Omega were legal it seemed. Miranda had filled her in on the rest.

Run by an attractive and charismatic Asari, the gangs of Omega payed homage to her, and did whatever the hell they liked. Cassie glanced at some of the figures huddled in the doorways of the arrivals area. Some shaking violently, almost like they could shed their skin. Miranda explained that these souls had sold all they had to the Red Sand that was their new master. Shepard had seen Red Sand addicts before, even seen some Marines turn to it to deal with some of the horrors that many of the human alliance never saw.

She shook her head as Miranda told her that not of these lost souls were Red Sand addicts, some of them had come to Omega to find their fortune and lost everything but the shirts on their backs, some even ended up in debt to the Asari and were her indentured workers, a term that Miranda had explained was just another word for Slavery, not that the Asari would ever admit to it. Indentured Servitude made it sound, so much cleaner and more respectable. Their wages would end up going straight into Aria’s pocket, so what little they ended up with put them back in the same hole they were in in the first place.

“Shut your damn mouth! Be grateful you’re still alive, my client wants you alive so I must bring you in alive. Didn’t say anything about punching your damn teeth out or breaking a limb.”

Jakob shook his head. “That’s Zaeed Massani” he did not bother to hide his disgust.

“Not keen on Mercenaries’ Taylor?” Shepard asked.

“They are only as loyal as their next paycheque.” Jakob murmured, “most of them will sell you out if their target offers more money.”

“Shouldn’t be here then, your boss has said he wants Mercs and that’s what he will get, you have a problem with it, take it up with him.” Cassie told them to wait there and made her way over to where the man kneed the battered Batarian in the stomach and put him to the ground.

He was a tall man, broad of build and heavily tattooed. On his wrist was a small mounted crossbow, one of the newer weapons doing the rounds these days. Strapped to his hip was a holster for the pistol he currently held and on his back was an old Lancer rifle. She didn’t think she would ever see one of them oldies again. He had light brown hair that was receding, a horrific scar that circled his left eye which, now she looked closer at him, was a glass eye. That was blue but his other eye was brown.

“Zaeed Massani?” she asked looking at the Batarian on the floor, “File said one person not two.”

She had spoken with her new Yeoman at length, Kelly Chambers seemed friendly enough. She had sat with the Commander, explained what her job was and then apologised for her informality, Cass had waved it off, this was a Cerberus vessel and not an Alliance vessel. Kelly had said she would get a better handle on Zaeed when she saw him for a face to face.

“This?” Zaeed motioned at the whimpering alien on the floor, begging for the other human to help him, that he did not do anything, “Shut up!” he put a boot into the face “This aint coming with us, it’s a contract I had to finish while I waited for you to arrive.” Zaeed looked at Shepard and held his hand out “Zaeed Massani.”

“Cassandra Shepard.”

“I know who you are, the first human Spectre and they all said you were dead.”

“Yeah think I am going to be getting a lot of that.” She sighed as she shook his hand “Turn your bounty in, get your gear on the Normandy then meet me here. I assume the Illusive Man told your what you are needed for.”

“Yeah he told me, he also told me you would help me with a mission.” Zaeed rolled his eye as he saw the blank look on Shepard’s’ face. “and he didn’t tell you.”

“Why don’t you,”

“I picked up a mission a while back, someone I’ve been trying to find for a long while. You ever heard of Vido Santiago?” She shook her head “Well he’s the leader of the Blue Suns, sooner we get that done, sooner we can go off and save the universe and be big god damned fucking heroes.”

“I’ll get a team sorted first then see about your mission.”

They turned as the Batarian, taking the distraction as a chance, made a run for it down the concourse. Zaeed waited for a moment to let the Batarian think he had escaped then shot him in the leg. Chuckling as the alien went down clutching the back of his knee “Your Illusive Man can move a lot of credits Shepard, I am not cheap, and the one who wants this paid my bring em in alive rate. I’ll see you in a few, don’t want this thing stinking the place up, might put the tourists off.” He laughed at his own joke.

The tourists came and never left, most of them ended up swallowed up by the system here and others were found dead in one of Omega’s many back alleys, or dancing in some sleezy bar or even sleeping with strangers for credits for their booze, food or drug of choice. Shepard watched the merc walk away and re-joined Miranda and Jakob, she was about to head through the arrival doors when the three of them were accosted by a scatty Salarian, who in all honesty looked like he had seen better days.

“I know who you are here to see, you’re here to see her right” He rambled on.

“See who?” Shepard asked although judging by Miranda’s expression she could guess.

“Her, everyone always wants to see her.”

“Hey beat it!” The trio watched as a Batarian decked in black armour made his way towards them.

“Do you two always get this kind of attention?” Cassie asked Miranda and Jakob

“No” Miranda sighed “it seems they know we are in the Omega system and Aria is flexing her muscles.”

“So, this is all her show then? Letting us know she’s the authority here?” They nodded “Like your boss then.”

“Can’t disagree with you there Shepard.” Jakob looked at Miranda.

“He. Well he….” Miranda looked from Cassie to Jakob “No, you’re right on that score.”

“Hey you.” The Batarian who was named Fargut it appeared squared his shoulders “Afterlife now.”

“I’m sorry, are you talking to us?” Cassandra laughed a little.

“I’m not talking to the skanks over there. Afterlife, now.”

“Well I thought I’d take in the sights this; wonderful place has to offer.” Cassie glanced at her two companions who nodded in agreement “Your boss can damn well wait.”

“Aria wants to know what brings a dead Spectre to Omega, so I suggest you go now Shepard.” He sneered.

“Hmm,” Cassie walked over put her hand on the Batarians shoulder then promptly kneed him between the legs, sending him down quicker than a punch. “You can tell your boss, queen, whatever the fuck she is, I will see her when I am damn well ready, and if she don’t like it, she can suck it, or kiss your balls better one or the other, really don’t care.”

Cassie glanced over to see Zaeed re-join them and arch an eyebrow at the scene playing out before him. “Aria sent her errand boy then?” he commented.

“Aria can go fuck herself.” Shepard replied “and you can phrase that however you think best.” Cassie jerked her head and the four of them walked away from the moaning Batarian.

“Aria won’t like this Shepard.” Jakob told the Commander “She really won’t.”

“Taylor do I look like someone who cares what a fucking Asari thinks?” She rolled her shoulders and bringing her omni tool up she brought a profile of the street map of Omega up that EDI had put together. “So, EDI, show me where this Doctors Clinic is”

EDI highlighted the path to the Goza District. “There are reports of a plague running through the district, reports indicate that every species aside from the Vorcha and Humans are affected. The district has been closed off under orders from Aria T’Loak. “

“And where is the Salarian I am supposed to collect?”

“His clinic is in the centre of the district.”

“Right, thanks.”

They walked through the spaceport doors to see a wide street dominated by a nightclub. The words AFTERLIFE lit up in bright neon letters. Cassandra lent against the door taking in the sights around her. The queue to get in was long, and it didn’t seem to be moving very fast. She could hear a human arguing with an Elcor about why he was not allowed in yet. He did not seem that phased by the Krogan wearing dark body armour bringing his shotgun to ready. Still he was wasting his breath, a Batarian with a list in his hand went along the line tapping a shoulder or two and they went into the club.

Still, after telling Fargut what he could do with his mistress’s orders. Going in there now seemed contradictory to what she had said. Zaeed joined her and looked like he knew what she was thinking, but then again, the man was a bounty hunter, he must have done thousands of missions where he had to rethink his plan of attack.

“What do you know of her?” Cassandra asked, motioning with her head towards the nightclub. The fact that it dominated the entire block, and was the first thing everyone saw when they came into Omega from the space port spoke volumes of her need to control, and to dominate.

“Aria? Well she’s the leader of this shit hole of an asteroid station.” Zaeed folded his arms across his chest. “and you probably worked out she likes everyone to know it.” Cassie nodded once, yeah; she knew that. “Omega is the, defacto capital of the Terminus Systems and she’s the Pirate Queen of the Terminus. There are rumours that Aria is not even her real name, the fact she is an Asari means she’s probably had a lot of names. I heard someone say she was called Aleena once.”

Cassie stood straighter when she heard the last part “Aleena?”

“Yeah, a Krogan I ran with once, said she had pissed off his brood cousin enough to destroy a space station, but that was a century or two ago.” The smile hit Cassies face and she motioned for Zaeed to continue. “Aria always likes to have more over people. Its how she’s managed to run Omega for as long as she has. She knows everything that is going at any time, either through her spies or her camera’s. Chances are she knows you are here and is watching to see what you will do.”

“Well let’s not disappoint her. I said I would go see her when I was ready and that’s what we will do, I want the doctor first. I think getting Archangel might be more, difficulty. EDI what was that note on Archangels file.”

“The note you are referring to Shepard is that Archangel has all the major gangs in Omega after him, the Blue Suns, Eclipse and the Blood Pack. The Blue Suns like to style themselves as ordered and disciplined, a Private security firm with a Military disposition.” Zaeed snorted loudly, “Blue Suns are mainly Human and Turian, Batarians are a recent addition. Blue Suns were Blue armour with a white stylised oval meant to represent a sun I believe.”

“Eclipse?” Cassie asked still watching the Nightclub.

“Eclipse are composed of mainly biotics and tech experts. Their forces are mainly Asari and Salarian, Humans are also part of it but not in the same number as they are in the Blue Suns. The Eclipse was founded by Jona Sederis. They are noticeable by their distinctly yellow armour with a white stylised E on the front in the shape of an eclipse.”

“And the Blood Pack?”

“The Blood Pack are notably Krogan, although they did start out as a Vorcha gang. They became a lot bigger when the Krogan Battle master Ganar Wrang changed them from a street gang to a formidable Mercenary Company. Vorcha are resilient, they are immune to disease and, once they have passed their initiation into the Blood Pack are highly more resilient and intelligent then normal Vorcha. Only Krogan and Vorcha can become Blood Pack members, they are very xenophobic when it comes to recruiting. You can tell the Blood Pack by their dark red armour and white skull motif, they also use Varren as attack hounds.”

“That makes sense,” Miranda and Jacob joined the Commander and Bounty Hunter “Varren are known to scavenge and it is the fastest way to get rid of a body they do not want found.”

“Yeah and Krogan don’t play well with others. Is there any way to get to Archangel, without having to go through Aria?” Cassie wanted to know.

“No Shepard, the recruiting station the gangs set up to hire freelancers to help them. Is set up in the main bar of Afterlife. You will not be able to go after Archangel without first speaking to Aria, it appears she has a say on who goes into the recruiting room and who doesn’t.” EDI informed.

“Ok thanks, that’s all for now.”

“Logging you out Shepard.”

Cassandra watched the nightclub for a little longer. Wrexs story of how he chased an Asari around a space station running through her mind. She stood straighter “Let’s go get the Professor first, he can be working on a work around the seeker swarms while we collect Archangel.”

“With you Shepard.” Jakob fell into step behind her, Zaeed beside him and Miranda beside the Commander. “We going to Afterlife then?”

“No, Taylor, we are not going to Afterlife. We are going to the clinic.”

With that Cassie began the walk to the districts main gate.


	6. Hamster on Coffee

The guard at the main gate had tried to stop them, it was only when the Commander pointed out that she was going in and if anyone tried to stop them, they would die too that they were let through without any trouble. Now walking through the alley that led from the main gate, it did not take long for the smell to hit them. Zaeed’s comment about basic plague control was not really wanted. The stench of burning flesh was enough to remind them of how such things were dealt with in the past. It was true what they had heard though, the corpses were Asari, Krogan, Turian and Batarian, there were even a couple of Salarian corpses in the pyre, it added truth that this was a cross species plague, minus Humans and Vorcha. There was enough anti-human sentiment in the universe, something like this would only add to it. Zaeed and Cassandra had taken out a couple of Blue Suns and Cassandra had spoken to a Batarian who, at first cursed them all, then, once she had administered some Medi-Gel to help ease his suffering, and he saw that they were not there to rob him or kill him; he explained that the plague did not affect humans or the Vorcha. Miranda had asked why they thought Humans had come up with the idea when the Vorcha could have, the Batarian, whose name was Karnan, laughed although it hurt him to do so.

“The Vorcha,” he had said when he wasn’t coughing from laughing so much “are scavengers, they are not too smart to come up with this, I am sorry human, but this was engineered by humans, you may not want to hear it, but that’s the truth of it.” He was right, none of them wanted to hear it. Cassie had promised she would send someone back to help him, Karnan did not much rate his chances but, he thanked her anyway. She left him some water and some food from her ration pack, and they moved on. Every block they swept had a victim of some description in it, some of the victims were only hours old, others were days old and more than once Miranda and Jakob had gone outside less, they be sick at the overpowering smell.

“So,” Zaeed looked at Cassie “What's it like being spaced?”

Cassie looked at him and shrugged “Painful,” she muttered “I got hit by the blast then my air pipe tore, I am not sure what’s worse, suffocating or burning, or even freezing.”

“Did your life flash before your eyes?”

“I can’t remember, why do you want to know?”

“Just curious, the Illusive Man must have some technology to bring a human back from the dead.” Zaeed looked towards Miranda “She the one who did it?”

“Yeah”

“You thanked her yet?”

“Sort off.”

“Yeah, I get it, who wants to be brought back to life to have to deal with the same shit you dealt with before.”

“You seem awfully knowledgeable Massani.” The Commander finally said.

“I have some friends who were once in the Alliance. Rumour has it that you were so tired from chasing down Saren, and with all you had to see and do, you were suffering some form of PTSD, that’s what made you think the Reapers were real.”

“Oh right, and that’s the brass’s opinion or the scuttlebutt?” Cassie snarled sarcastically.

“The politicians. The Council, and Earths First Minister.” Zaeed glanced sideways at her “but they forget about the soldiers who fought that thing. They believed you. Didn’t do you much good in the end, but they believed you.”

“I don’t suffer PTSD.” Cassie murmured “I didn’t get it after Akuze and I certainly don’t get it chasing down a rogue Turian fucker and a giant AI dreadnought.” She shook her head in disgust.

“Well, bring them proof of this and they have to listen to you right?”

“I doubt it Zaeed, when they find out I am alive and working with Cerberus to do what they can’t be bothered to do, I am going to get my ass nailed to the wall” She said with a degree of certainty that made even the hardened Bounty Hunter pause. “This way. Give our noses a break from the smell.”

“We need to restock Shepard.” Miranda told her holding up an empty bottle. “This district is bigger than we thought.”

“Great, now we go looting the homes of the dead.” She murmured “Remind me to have a shower once we get out of here.”

****

Finding supplies was not hard, they even bumped into a couple of humans holed up in their apartment. So no, finding water was not hard, the hardest part was fighting through the Vorcha and Blue Suns. It took an hour to reach even the second residential block of the Goza District, but the more Blue Suns or Vorcha they encountered, the more they realised they were near their destination. Miranda’s left-hand glowed neon blue as she came around the corner and bumped into a Blue Suns scouting squad, to be fair they were probably more surprised to see her then she was them, but her warp field hit them hard and fast. Cassie was visibly impressed when she saw the six-man squad go flying in opposite directions.

As good a biotic as she was, and Miranda was damn good, in the ensuing firefight Cassie thought that she could use some firearms practise, something she would see to when she had the chance. It wasn’t that Lawson couldn’t fight, all Cerberus personnel could handle a gun, it was just she needed the extra practise. With what they were eventually going up against, they would all need to be better than they were, even the first Human Spectre needed practise. Two years was a long time to be out the loop.

Jacob span round to see the two humans they had spoken to earlier; he lowered his gun and shook his head. “You could have been killed sneaking up on me like that!” he snarled “What the hell are you both doing?”

“Following you.” The man said “Figured the only way to get to the clinic was to follow you all.”

“Uh-huh and what if you had been shot or torn apart by the Vorcha?” Jacob wanted to know, “The Commander wanted you to stay in your home for at least a couple of hours.”

“We took our chances, and I know a shortcut.” The man walked over to a locked gate, “This leads to a side alley, the clinic is at the end of that alley. So, we good to follow you still.”

“Shepard?” Jacob glanced at the Commander.

“Wait, Shepard? Commander Shepard?” The woman asked.

“Yeah” Cassie arched an eyebrow.

“They said you were dead!”

“Just open the damn…” She heard a crash of something in the nearest home, sounded like cupboards being rifled through. Tapping Miranda’s shoulder, she motioned for her to come with her and left Zaeed and Jacob guarding the gate.

The two women moved through the apartment building, like every home in Omega they were apartment blocks, but depending on how well off you were depended on how high end the home was. Some of the blocks they had already been through had been nothing more than a single room with a bunk in the corner. This one though was a whole plush apartment, and on the floor was a dead Turian. Judging by his clothing, he was a blue-collar worker, probably a doctor or a manager of some sort. Wandering around the apartment and stepping over the body were two human men, chuckling at their good fortune. They stopped when they heard guns being loaded.

“Nice and easy.” Cassie muttered. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like we are doing?” The first man sneered.

“Did you kill him?” Miranda asked.

“Who the Turian, nah the plague got him.” The second man laughed “and to make sure the Blue Suns or Vorcha don’t get their hands on what he owns, we are providing a service.”

“What, cleaning up and stealing what he had?” Cassie sneered.

“Hey if we don’t do this then it’ll go to waste.” The first man pointed out, his hand going to his own weapon “You look like you can handle yourself but seriously being a human on Omega sucks. Unless you have the credits to survive.”

“and if he has a wife or family?" Miranda asked “This is a family home”

“She can collect on the insurance.”

“Insurance? On Omega? Don’t make me laugh” Miranda glanced at the Commander “What should we do with them.”

“I told the Turian at the district gate that I would shoot looters and that’s what I am going to do.”

“Whoa, wait a second, we didn’t kill him” The dark-haired man raised his hands “he was already dead when we got here!”

“You didn’t kill him but you are stealing his stuff.” Cassie glanced at Miranda sideways. “is there any law that says what happens when you are caught looting on Omega?”

“No, there is no law here, except the law of Aria.” Miranda sighed “If she was of a mind to be lenient, she would throw them in the Eezo mines, but the Turians family would pay someone to make sure they had an accident anyway.”

Cassie lowered her gun then raised it again and shot the dark-haired man in the leg, Miranda did the same to the blonde-haired man. “If you can make it out of here, I would suggest leaving this place. If you can make it out before his family come back for you.”

Miranda walked out alongside the Commander, glancing backwards a couple of times. “You realise what the Turians will do when they find them don’t you?”

“Oh yeah.” Cassie nodded a couple of times. “Serves them right. I can’t stand looters, before you say it, we left credit chips for the water we took.”

The two women returned to the gate and once it was unlocked, they went through it. The two humans with them walked between the group, feeling more protected that way. The Commander did not want to have to do bodyguard duties, however in one of the streets they came through they had seen some humans strung up and hanging in the streets. So, she didn’t complain about it. As they neared the entrance to the Clinic they stopped as they heard the familiar sound of a Gatling gun begin it start up then heard the shouts as the YMIR Mech slaughtered whoever it was facing. Coming to the entrance they could only watch as a squad of Blue Suns and their body parts were sent scattering in a rain of red, blue and purple blood. Cassie heard a retching sound behind her and stepped out the way, before she got some of the man and woman’s stomach contents on her armour.

“Hold please.” The mech beside the YMIR stepped out. “State your business.”

“We are here to see the Professor.” Miranda told them “Not here to start any trouble.”

The human that oversaw the mechs wore black armour and stepped out from his guard house. He ran a gaze over the party before him and ignored the groaning Blue Suns that might still be alive. They wouldn’t be alive for much longer, that was for certain and the Doc sure as hell wouldn’t heal them. “Stand down.” He told the mech and the YMIR lowered its weapons. “Doc’s through there, long as you keep your weapons holstered, you’ll be fine, start anything and on your head be it.”

Cassie glanced at the security and arched an eyebrow. She got that he might need to protect this place, but was this amount of firepower necessary? Shaking her head at the thought that a doctor needed to resort to these measures to protect his patients, well that spoke volumes about Omega really. Walking through the main door, the smell hit her first, vomit, shit and a heavy tang of blood and puss. Some of these people here could barely walk, and those who did, left pools of blood or other weeping messes in their wake. Their clothes were heavily soiled, and, to give the clinic staff credit, they cleaned up straight away, not flinching at what must have been an unpleasant task.

She heard bits of conversation about the Blue Suns locking people in their apartments, humans looting and she could see the suspicious eyes of the Turians and Batarians that were in here. She didn’t see any Salarians or Asari here, but then from what Jacob had told her, most of the Asari worked in Omega or with Eclipse so could probably afford the more high-end apartments, same with the Salarians. Of all the buildings she had been in or the streets she had walked through to get here, this building was pristine, clean and despite the plagues effects that were there for all to see, the cleaning staff worked non-stop to make sure it stayed that way.

Cassandra heaved a heavy sigh and made her way to the desk. “Excuse me, where can I find Professor Solus?”

The desk nurse, who looked like she had not slept in days but still managed to run her nursing staff with the efficiency of someone who had just started work looked up. “Go down that corridor turn left then take a right; you’ll know him when you see him.”

The nurse looked up then frowned at the guns the humans carried. She glanced at the security guard who nodded and shrugging went back to the task at hand, sorting out the mess that this plague had put her clinic in.

“My guess is the alien nursing staff have been told not to come in.” Miranda said as they made their way down the corridor “all human staff.”

“Humans aren’t affected remember.” Zaeed reminded her, not that Miranda needed reminding. “Won’t do any good if the alien workers here catch the plague and take it home to their families.”

Cassandra stopped and cocked her head a little as she could hear a voice that was most definitely not human, give his orders, at what sounded like superspeed. The group stopped in the doorway and watched as the nursing staff carried out the Salarians orders. Everyone knew Salarians had high pitched voices and did everything faster than most other races. They only lived for forty years or just a little more. So, she could hardly blame them for living life in the fast lane, still it was a sight to see. This Salarian sounded like he had been on the expresso coffee.

“Professor Solus?” Shepard asked stepping into the room, moving to one side to allow the nurse to carry out the doctor’s orders.

“Humans, armed, not here to threaten would have heard gunshots, mercenaries come to kill me perhaps, no they would have tried that by now.”

“For the love of god man!” Cassie snapped “My name is Commander Shepard and I need your help for a critical mission.”

“Mission, what mission, no clinic has to come first,” although it was obvious that his interest had been piqued. “If you aren’t here to cause trouble. Who are you from?”

“Ever heard of Cerberus?” Cass asked with no hint of disgust to her tone.

“Crossed paths on occasions.” Now his voice slowed, which they would learn happened when he was not on the verge of an exciting discovery or up to his neck in work. “Human centric group, why would they want me?”

“You heard of them then?” Cassie asked glancing at Miranda and Jacob who both shrugged. Although considering this was a former STG agent, it was hardly surprising he knew of them.

“Names crossed my desk on occasions. Don’t know the real name of the man behind it, but I know of him.”

Cassie waited for the room to clear before she divulged anymore, her experience when dealing with shit like this meant that the Spectre was more wary about leaked information. As if sensing her apprehension, Mordin raised his omni-tool and closed the door.

“The Collectors have been taking human colonies, abducting humans for god knows what.”

“The Collectors? Yes, that makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Shepard asked frowning.

“Collectors only species capable of producing this kind of plague, our goals aligned.” His voice sped up again “You spread the cure I will come with you.”

Cass looked at the heavens and shook her head in annoyance. “Just once, just for once I would like to ask someone to come with me and hear them say, sure let’s go.”

“We all want something Shepard. To get what we want, we all give something in return.” Mordin smiled quickly, which was a disconcerting thing to see on a Salarian.

“Fine, where do I go?” Shepard asked as Miranda took the Phials that Mordin gave her.

“To the air purification centre. Go out here, turn left may have to fight Blood Pack.” He stopped talking as they all looked up at the sound of the air filtration system suddenly stopped working.

“That sounds bad.” Zaeed muttered ominously.

“Not much time.” Mordin spoke again “Put cure in filtration system, restart fans they will send disperse it over entire district, also in good faith, take this Carnifex, took it from a Blue Suns Mercenary, may come in handy against Vorcha and Blood Pack in general.”

“Thanks.” Shepard cast an impressed eye over the weapon. She had heard of the Carnifex stopping power.

“Also, as favour to me, my assistant Daniel, against my better judgement went out to help those in need, not heard from him, might be in trouble.”

“Ok I’ll keep an eye out for him. Doc,” Cassie nearly forgot about the Batarian she had found. “Theres a sick Batarian near the entrance to the district. He looked in a pretty bad way, he could use your help.”

“Hmm, near the entrance? Might still be dangerous but will see what I can do.”

Cassie nodded and heaving a sigh she motioned with her head for her squad to follow her and they left the clinic.

*****

Mordin had not been joking when he said about the Blue Suns and Vorcha, once they had fought their way through the amusement district with its gambling dens and other illicit places. They passed a couple of sex clubs, that, for obvious reasons were shut right now and it dawned on Shepard, the irony that a clinic was in the centre of the Red-Light District. At least Zaeed found it amusing, and as cutting as he was, Cassie liked him. They found Daniel, more by accident then design, a shout from a nearby apartment drew their attention and, after a rather tense standoff, which Shepard threatened to kill the Batarians, if they dared lay a finger on the man who was actually there to cure them, they let him go, and Daniel administered the cure for them, even giving them some to take to their families. The lead Batarian gave Daniel a look and nodded once

“I guess, I guess Humans aren’t all that bad.” He went to leave with his friends then turned to look at Shepard. “Not many of you Alliance would have let us live.”

“Is that what you’ve seen or what your Hegemony preaches?” Cassie asked.

“Huh, don’t mention that to us, we are out here and on Omega to get away from that. There’s a bunch of Vorcha holed up two blocks from here. Taking out anyone that goes past, just. Watch your backs. Come on.”

Cassie nodded her thanks and turned her attention onto Daniel. “If I were you I’d go back to the Clinic, the professor needs your help.”

“Yeah, yeah ok and er thanks.” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck “Who are you anyway.”

“Shepard.” Cassie muttered “Commander Shepard.”

She didn’t wait to see Daniels expression as she took her team back out the apartment and towards the air purification centre.

The Batarians had not been wrong when they warned the quartet about the Vorcha, Jacob took a bullet in the arm when they caught them in an ambush. Miranda gritted her teeth in annoyance and sent one rising in the air, only to bring the Vorcha back down so hard she snapped his back, then hit him with a warp field and shot him. Cassie arched an impressed eyebrow.

“Here Miranda, you see to Jacob, Zaeed with me.”

The Commander and the Merc took off down the corridor, following the Commanders hand signals, Zaeed went left and Cassie went right coming out to the sides of the Vorcha and with precise shots, they killed the ambushers, headshots was what Zaeed had told her to go for and that’s exactly what she did. Miranda joined them with Jacob soon after and looked at the dead Vorcha.

“Head shots?” Jacob asked.

“Vorcha regen faster than a Krogan.” Zaeed perched on a wall, cleaning his rifle with an old rag. “You can shoot them pretty much anywhere and they will just get back up, hit them with fire or headshots, they ain't getting up.”

“Miranda take Jacob back to the clinic; I want the Doc to look over him.”

“I’m good Shepard, the medi-gel is working fine.”

“This isn’t a democracy Taylor, go back to the clinic. Your arm is useless now, your no good to me if you wind up dead,”

“As you order Commander.” Miranda holstered her Tempest and saw the glare on Jacobs face, if the Commander saw it, she chose to ignore it. Motioning with her head, both Cassandra and Zaeed double timed it to the air filtration system, while Miranda took and angry Jacob back to the clinic.


	7. A Question of Trust

Getting into the centre was not a problem, going through the Vorcha was. Not only were they crawling out the woodwork on the ground floor, but the little bastards had rocket launchers up on the top balcony. Both Cassie and Zaeed were stuck behind a wall for now. Zaeed peered down his sniper rifles scope and a thin smile crossed his face.

“On the balcony there’s explosive canisters, probably their fuel for the flame throwers.”

“And they leave them laying around because?”

“Ordnance.” Zaeed told her “Anyone gets up there, a well-timed shot….” He trailed off hoping she got his meaning.

“You have the sniper rifle Massani, take them out.”

“Roger that.”

Moving to a lower balisard, Zaeed crouched down, with the practised ease of one who had been using such a precise weapon for many a year, he took out all the canisters and the Commander whistled under her breath as the Vorcha were sent high into the air, their bodies incinerating into ash as they fell. Now they could move, while Zaeed took up a position on the walkway they were just on, Cassie moved to ground level, and with the merc taking out the Vorcha as they exited the area the two of them needed to be in, she took care of the ones that had already made their way through the atrium. By the time they had finished the floor was awash with brains and blood.

Walking through to the main plant left a trail of bloody footprints in their wake. After that it had been more like a fight for their lives, not that either of them cared about that. The Blood Pack Vorcha and a Krogan were not so inclined to let them get to where they needed to be. Shepard and Massani were not so inclined to be stopped. With EDI telling them what they needed to do and where they needed to inset the phials Shepard changed to her shotgun, the kick on the Eviscerator was like a mule, but taking the incendiary clips that Zaeed passed her, she loaded them in and not only did it open up the Vorcha’ s bodies exposing their guts, it also cooked them inside out. The smell was horrendous, burnt flesh, excavated bowels, released bladders and it almost stung their eyes. They got the phials in now they had to repair the damage the Vorcha had done. All this death because the Collectors had promised to make the Vorcha strong. A well-placed inferno grenade took care of the soldiers coming from the side rooms and then there was silence. Repairing the last fan Shepard rested against the console as the purification machines came back on line and dispersed the cure throughout the district. It would take a couple of hours to really begin to do its job, but at least it would be cured. Didn’t help those that had already died, but it would give relief to those who were hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

******

The Clinic staff heaved a collective sigh as the fans came back on and, when they saw the effect the cure was starting to have on the patients they could have cried in relief. Cassie and Zaeed came back through the clinic doors, for the Commander to have her hand taken by Karnan and shaken vigorously.

“You’re looking a little better.” Cassie smiled a little.

“I am feeling better, thank you, what’s your name so I can remember you.”

“Cassandra.” Was all she said.

Her reputation amongst the Batarians was not that great, and the last she heard, before she died, was the bastards had a bounty out on her head.

“Thank you, Cassandra” Karnan smiled a little his four eyes sparkling. “I am going with the nursing staff here to see if my wife made it.”

“I hope she has.” Cassie rested a hand on his shoulder and with a reassuring smile she excused herself and made her way to the back area. “All’s done professor” She called as she came in “Now are you free to come with us?”

“Yes, can leave clinic in Daniels hands, now plague cleared should be no trouble for him, will leave Mechs, just in case.”

“Thank you again Commander, for saving my life and not shooting the Batarians.”

“I gave my word and they walked free. On another day, I might have shot them.”

“Personally, I would have just killed them and had it over and done with.” Mordin sniffed “but no matter, Daniel is safe, plague is cured. Where is your ship Shepard?”

“Normandy, Docking Cradle 5. Go make yourself at home Professor, I will be along shortly,” Cass stopped Miranda as she went to walk with Mordin, “I am going to go to the markets, get some things for the crew and when I get back, I am grabbing a shower. Miranda, can I trust you, I mean really trust you not to go reporting everything to the Illusive Man?”

Miranda nodded. She might have been one of the Illusive Mans top agents but there were some things she did not cross the line on, and, whilst she was an operative, she was also a doctor, so like Mordin, confidentiality was her business.

“Meet me in my quarters in say an hour? There’s something I might need your help with that is nothing to do with this mission, but might get one of the Councillors to listen.”

“You’re going to ask the Council for help? Isn’t that like flogging a dead horse?” Miranda was skeptical, the Council had never been that helpful with Shepard when she was chasing Saren, so she doubted that they would be any more helpful when they found out she was after the Collectors.

“Maybe, probably.” Cassie corrected “but there may be something I can do to, offset that.”

“Very well Commander, I’ll see you in an hour.”

*****

Cassie came out of her shower and got dressed, drying her hair with the towel. She had ordered something from the galley, deciding to eat in her quarters, and pulled a face at the food that came up, once she had tasted it. She was going to have to sort out better provisions, this food tasted like shit, then again considering what Mess Sergeant Gardner also took care off. _I really hope he washes his hands_, she thought ruefully, at least the coffee was good. She heard her door knock as she was getting things ready for Miranda’s visit and called out come in to see said Miranda come in and sit herself down across from the Commander.

Cassie handed her a coffee and sat down herself. “Tell me Miranda, what are the councils’ rules on uplifting species now?”

Miri sipped her coffee and sat back in her seat, curious as to why the Commander wanted to know something like that. She rubbed her brow a little and thought for a moment. “I believe that the Turians and the Asari informed the Salarians that there was to be no more uplifting of species, that interfering with their natural progression was wrong. This was decided after the Krogan rebellions, and the unleashing of the Genophage.” “

The Krogan rebelled because the Council wouldn’t listen to them, but the Krogan were wrong in their actions, however the Genophage would be considered to be a war crime.” Cass mused, remembering the stories Wrex had told them all on the original Normandy, of how his people are slowly going extinct. “The Salarians uplifted the Krogan to fight the Ranchi, and then when they ceased to be of any further use to the Council, they eventually unleashed a plague that only allowed a small number of viable births. How am I doing so far?”

“Yeah that’s pretty much it. The Salarians are an important part of the council,” Miri added “it’s why the Asari and the Turians didn’t censure them for their action. It is important to note though, that not all Turians believed that the Genophage was the right thing to do. After all, if the Turians ever stepped out of line, what would the Salarians do to them?”

Cassie pulled an OSD over and slipped it into the side of her computer. She entered her password and looked at Miranda. “Listen.”

Miri sat forward and cocked her head little. Even with EDI clearing the sound up as best she could, it was still hard to hear. What she did hear though had her eyes widening and her eyebrows climbing to the top of her head. The Salarians, or at least a secret branch of them, were planning on uplifting not only the Varen but the Yagh too. Miranda was horrified at the thought. Varen were scavengers primarily but, they were also attack dogs, if dog could be the right word for them. Their teeth could tear flesh from bones in a matter of minutes. Krogan ate them as a delicacy but they also used them as attack hounds, as did the Batarians. The Yagh, dear god no.

“What are the Yagh?” Cassie asked, having never heard of them. The expression in her XO’s face was enough to have her worried. She thought she knew all the species that you didn’t piss off and the Krogan were one of them. However, she had never heard of the Yagh, and with good reason it appeared.

“The Yagh are a space faring species from Parnack. When the Council first encountered them, they attacked the Councils first contact team and killed them then ate them.”

“Ate them!!” Cassie felt her jaw drop.

“Ate them.” Miranda confirmed “The Council censured them, did not allow trade with them and considered them too dangerous to do any business with or make peace with. They got the Turians to destroy their ships and munitions and confined them to their planet and home system. To the council the Yagh presented a clear and present danger to galactic peace. More than the Krogan.”

Cassie ran a hand through her hair. With what happened when the Salarians uplifted the Krogan, why in the name of all that was holy, would they want to do the same thing with a race that was proven to be violent and vicious. She really did not want to think about why they wanted the Varen too.

“I need this pieced together and cleaned up and if you can ferret out anything else from the OSD then I would be grateful.”

“How did you get this?” Miranda took the OSD and turned it over in her hand, she could see the scorch marks and the damage to the outer casing. “I mean the job.”

“Councillor Teevos asked me to look into something when I was made a Spectre.” Cassie explained “She had, concerns following a visit to Sur'kesh and talking with the Salarian Dalatrass at the time. I never got to give her my report because Saren attacked the Citadel then I was spaced.”

“And do you think she will believe it?” Miri asked, the Council were not big on being scrutinised, they did not like to become personally involved in anything that, might shake up their neat ideas of how the galaxy should be governed, to how it really is governed.

“Yeah, I don’t know Miranda, maybe, maybe not. She might not even trust that it’s me when I go back to the citadel after this, but If I have something to give her, she might give me some leeway. And whatever you manage to pull out of your magic hat with this, make a copy. Don’t want it getting lost in files or locked away somewhere.”

Miranda finished her coffee and took the OSD and the original orders Shepard had from Councillor Teevos. By rights she should report this to the Illusive Man, anything to do with upsetting the Council he would want to know about, however, the Commander had asked for her trust and, and that went a long way with Operative Lawson. So, she would use her own equipment, ones she knew were not bugged or had spyware in.

“When do you want me to start?”

“Soon as you get some free time. We won’t be at the Citadel for a few weeks. Once we have this Archangel fella we’ll leave.”

“Very well Commander, I’ll let you know if I discover anything else.” Miranda got up and made her way to the door “Uplifting the Yagh, how power hungry are the Salarians anyway?”

“Could always ask Mordin.”

“We could but wouldn’t he be obliged to contact STG or the Dalatrass?”

“Maybe, but something tells me he won’t. We’ll see, may have to bring him in on it.”

“Ok, well ready to head back down to Omega when you are.”

“According to EDI, to get to Archangel we will need to go see Aria T’Loak.”

“Great, just let me grab a shower or two first.”

Cassandra laughed as Miranda walked out of her quarters. “Now that, miss Lawson was funny” she said to the door as it closed.


	8. They Call me Archangel, but it's Garrus to you.

He ducked as gunfire raked the wall behind him. Tired eyes stung with the lack of sleep, what sleep he did get was broken and uneven. He was down to his last stims and his rations were running out. If he even thought once of giving up and letting the gangs across the bridge take him, he only had to look at the covered bodies in the living area below him. 

One more job, they had only meant to do one more job, then he would have let them go back to their families, and he would go back to Citadel Space, follow his own leads on some of these gangs’ activities. It was not meant to be. He had been lured away, betrayed and by the time he realised it. It was too late. He returned to find his team slaughtered, and the two survivors didn’t last longer than a day maybe two.   
It had become a question of revenge, when he got out of here, he was going to find the one member of his squad who was nowhere to be seen. No body and his own investigation had pieced together what he already knew. The Traitor was gone. 

Bones that were too weary to lift his sniper rifle screamed at him for sleep, and as he looked out the window, he could see the night turn to day. Finally, there was some quiet, peering through his scope he saw the gangs on the other side begin to settle for the night. He might have a couple of hours before they hit him again. Instead of moving to one of the empty beds, he stayed where he was. He knew that if he lay on top of one of the beds, he would drift into a sleep too deep and he would not see the dawn. He removed his helmet and stared at his reflection in the mirror beside him.   
The weary eyes of Garrus Vakarian stared back at him and he began to lightly doze.

*****

Afterlife hummed with the thumping beat of music that boomed its way through the room. Cassie did not much like this music, she had a liking for the old earth music, this just gave her a headache most of the time. She was with Miranda, Mordin and Zaeed, the doc had said she wanted Jacob to remain aboard the Normandy, at least until his arm was more mobile then it was. The bullet he took had been a through and through, but his shooting arm was useless now, at least until it had healed properly. Taylor didn’t much like it, but there was nothing he could do about it. 

Zaeed motioned with his head to a raised Dais area that overlooked the club floor. Cassandra rolled her eyes “Oh how very dramatic.” She sarcastically said. 

“Aria likes to let people know who’s in charge.” Miranda shrugged. 

“Yeah, I can see that. Good job we don’t live here then.” Cassandra looked around her, she’d already had one run in with a Batarian and his cronies at the door. She didn’t want another one, but still she hadn’t forgotten what Zaeed had told her and digging her hands in her pockets she made her way round the club and up the stairs, only to be stopped by half a dozen guns at her an a Turian shaking his head. 

“Stand your ass still.” The Batarian that had met her at the docking cradle got out a holo device. “Just need to scan you…”

“You do and I’ll tear your colon out through your ears.” The Commander snarled grabbing him by his collar and pulling him forward.

“Hah!” the Asari behind him laughed “I would pay to see that, but you want to talk to me, you get scanned.”

“For what reason?”

“For my reason.” Aria shortly replied and returned her gaze to the floor below “Never know who or what is wearing that face.” She muttered to herself. 

“Well you should have asked then.” Shepard drawled in a slight girly tone that had Miranda and Zaeed sniggering, Mordin just looked at them blankly and thought it must be a human thing. 

“They’re clean, next time you don’t come when called I toss your sorry ass out the airlock.” Fargut growled. 

“Aww did the big baby have his arse spanked cause the big scary dead person didn’t come when called?” Shepard levelled her gaze at him.

“Like to see you try.” She whispered and the turned her attention to the now seated Aria who motioned to another seat near her. “No thanks, I want to know how to get to Archangel.” 

Aria looked at her fingernails as if contemplating something then lowered her hand “You and most of the gangs on Omega.” 

“So, what, you’re in charge I take it and you couldn’t take down one merc?” Cassie smirked a little “funny that because I hear you couldn’t take down a Krogan Merc once.” She lent her head forward a little so only Aria could hear “Better luck next time Aleena.” 

Aria blinked once or twice at Shepard’s words “He has the Blue Suns, the Blood Pack and Eclipse after him, you wanna go after him then you head over there, but good luck when they discover your not there to kill him.”

Aria pointed to a recruiting room and Shepard nodded “So what’s he done to piss you off?”

“Me? He’s done nothing to me, but everyone on Omega has their dirty hands on something and he’s been trying to clean Omega up. He doesn’t get it; he doesn’t get that Omega likes the way things are and his way is not her way.” Aria got up and moved her head to Shepard’s ear “Now, who told you that name?” 

Shepard smirked and stepped back “Come on, sooner we get Archangel the sooner we can continue our mission.” She told the others and walked down the steps whistling a little. 

“What did you say to her?” Zaeed asked glancing back at the stone faced Asari “She never been like that, she always tells people who runs Omega tells them not to fuck with Omega or Aria…”

“Something you said triggered a memory is all.” Cassie looked back over her shoulder then walked down the steps to the recruiting office.

  
*****

After they had signed up which was a tedious exercise at the most. It was just insulting to be mistaken for a dancer, but mainly cause Shepard really couldn’t dance, or so people liked to assume. Truth was, she could dance if she wanted to, most of the time she chose not to, her life had no time for it. The Recruiter told them that they were basically cannon fodder, he could coat it up in a thousand different ways, but they were cannon fodder, a distraction, he said, for Archangel when they crossed the bridge. To allow the infiltration teams to get in and kill the bastard, he had said. 

Zaeed had made some comment about it being goddamned suicide and the recruiter had shrugged, agreed then added that “You four look like you can handle yourselves.”

The ride over was eventful. The Driver had gone on and on about how they had taken out Archangels team and, for the last four weeks had been wearing him down. Shepard looked out the window as the Omega skyline zoomed past her. 

“So, he’s been halting three gangs for four weeks and not one of you has yet managed to touch him?” She arched an eyebrow “yeah you’re really wearing him down.” 

The sarcasm was not lost on the team but it seemed to go over the driver’s head. “He’s a Turian that much we do know; you know how tough those sons of bitches are.” 

“Yeah, the Birds are tough bastards.” Zaeed murmured “but all this firepower for one man? Sounds like a waste of money, who’s the boss of your outfit?”

“Tarik, you know him?”

Zaeed returned to watching the skyline go by “Yeah I know him.” But he didn’t elaborate when the driver asked how he knew him. 

At least when they got to the destination the Batarian on the other side, a guy named Sulkie was more accommodating, even apologetic that four well-armed individuals, who looked like they knew what they were doing were being used to run infiltration across the bridge. He told them what was what and that Archangel was annihilating the freelancers. He almost sounded like he respected the man they were trying to kill. 

They were told to look for a Sergeant Cathka and report to him. Shepard arched an eyebrow as she saw someone go flying from their post with a bullet hole clean in their head. “That’s a hell of a shot.” Zaeed looked down at the dead human. 

“So, he’s a sniper then.” Miranda mused “useful.” 

“Must have incredible patience to pull a shot like that off.” Mordin sniffed “Top shot.”

**++Shepard, I have checked out the layout for the building that Archangel is in, there are no other ways across to the apartment building, you will have to go in through the front. However, I have determined that If you enter the next building you will find the Mechs that Eclipse use, should you be able to hack them it will take the edge off their attack. ++**

**++Roger that EDI++**

Passing through the doors they saw the Eclipse merc’s grumbling and groaning about how long it was taking before they could launch the final assault. Miranda passed a table with a note to the other gangs, about a possible take over of Omega. She nudged Zaeed who picked it up, slipped it into his jacket and walked out the door handing it to Shepard.

“Think we should let her have that?” Miranda asked. 

“I dunno, think about it, for now let’s concentrate on getting to our Sniper.” 

Miranda dealt with the YMIR mech that was sat stationary in the next room. They walked for another half an hour, ducking every so often as a shot whizzed past them, but hit the unlucky merc behind them. Cassie frowned a moment, whomever their target was, he was damn good. “Cathka is up there Shepard.” Mordin pointed “Next to the big gunship.”

“Gunship? Oh fuck, ok let’s go sort this out.”

He had been watching the area where the Gunship was parked up. That thing he had taken out with a couple of well-timed shots here and there. It was more an act of desperation than any strategic notion, that thing if back in the air would end it for him.   
Taking the last of his Stims, Garrus raised his Rifle and looked down the scope ready to tag the next target. The Naginata Rifle had been his favourite since he could remember training with one. His instructors had discovered that, amongst his myriad of other skills, Garrus was a damn good Sniper. He swept the sight line, looked up and a frown creased his brow plate, he looked back down the scope to see four figures make their way towards the gunship. As the figure in dark blue armour stopped and turned to talk to one of the men there, he caught the sight of the familiar red and white lined stripe. 

He moved himself to a better vantage point and grabbing a pair of high-powered scope lenses he peered through them. Garrus watched as the human walked over to the Batarian sergeant, had a few words with him and then drove one of the tools in his pack plate. He moved back down to his balcony and looked one more time, his eyes widening as he saw the familiar insignia on the armour plate.   
It was only when he closed in on the face, Garrus thought he was going to cry, she wasn’t dead, they had lied to him, or maybe, just maybe he had one too many stims and his exhaustion was making him see people he wanted to see. Whatever the situation the ghost was making their way across the bridge towards them and … they had just taken out the infiltration team from the back. Garrus readied himself for another fight, and this time he found a little more strength.

*****

  
Getting over the bridge was not hard, it was when the Infiltration team realised that the four heavily armed “freelancers” were in fact with the Turian, or they thought he was with the Turian, did they panic. Not knowing who to shoot at first one of them raised his gun up and down until Mordin sent a wall of flame towards him killing him instantly. Shepard glanced at the Professor as he re-programmed his omni-tool sent a wall of ice towards burning man and the others ducked as the body exploded in a welter of red and white blood and bone. 

“Nice.” Zaeed grinned. 

“I think I just lost my lunch.” Miranda moaned. 

Cassie snorted a little and all four of them moved through the apartment. They saw the covered bodies and realised those men must have been the team that the Batarian was on about when he said they had, dealt with Archangels squad. Making their way up the stairs they took out the last two and moved into the room.   
“Archangel” Shepard kept her gun raised. 

The Turian raised his hand and after a moment wait, he fired, the young man behind the pillar falling as his brains exploded from the back of his head. Shepard watched as the Turian moved to a table and sat himself down before removing his helm. Her eyes widened as familiar blue eyes raised to meet her. 

“Garrus?” She holstered her gun and strode over to where the Turian sat looking at her “Garrus what the hell?” She put her arms round him and felt him relax into her embrace. His head against her shoulder as weariness began to worm its way through him once more. 

“I thought you were dead.” he muttered against her shoulder We all thought you were dead.” 

“I was Gar.” She whispered “but, I’ll tell you all about it once we get you out of here. What the hell happened here, how did you manage to piss off every merc group in the Terminus?” 

“It wasn’t easy Cass, I really had to work at it”

Cassie stepped back and let him compose himself. She walked over to the balcony and at the bridge. “We need to get you out of here, is there a back way?” 

“I’ve had to keep that locked down.” Garrus told her joining her side. “Going over the bridge is our only way out, going down there is where we are going to find the most trouble I think.” He pointed over his shoulder towards the back area. 

“Ok so we thin them out some more. Zaeed, you take up a position over…there.” Cass pointed to a higher level, “Snipe whatever comes over that bridge from distance.”

“Roger that.” Zaeed took his Indira and made his way up. Cassie looked at Miranda. 

“Where can you do the most damage?”

Miranda walked the room and peered round the pillar “Opposite side to Zaeed.” She told the Commander “I can fire off my biotics and get a good vantage with my SMG.”

“Ok XO, go get ready, Mordin you and I will stay here with Garrus.” 

“Of course, makes sense, either side of him then we can flank, of course.” 

Garrus gave the Salarian a sideways look and then turned his gaze to Shepard. “Is he always so, energetic?” 

“Yeah, I’m learning about that one Garrus, why don’t you rest for a few, let us handle the next wave, recharge your batteries.”

“If I do that Cassandra, I will fall asleep.” Garrus shook his head, his mandibles twitching. 

“Gar, please just for a few and if you fall asleep, I’ll put a nice pillow under your head and cover you in a blankie.” 

Garrus choked a laugh out, if he had any doubts about whether this was the real Shepard they vanished. “Remember Virmire?” She called over “Getting Alenko’s ass out of the fire?”

Garrus nodded “You booted him off the ship after that as I recall, he wasn’t happy with you.” 

“Yeah well, if what Tali told me in an email on our way here is anything to go by, he’s still not happy with me, but I couldn’t care less, you know what I do to those who endanger the mission Garrus, needlessly endanger it I mean.” The Spectre looked at her friend “got any rope around here?” 

Garrus nodded and pointed to a storage box. Cassie walked over and looked in, she grinned when she saw the other grenade belts and ammo also in there.   
“Ok we deal with this wave then we set about making this place nice and secure.” She returned to the balcony “Sure you don’t want to rest?”

“You get me out of here Cass, and I’ll rest up and tell you what happened.”

“Good, because that is one story I want to hear, not like you to let things get so drastic like this Gar.” 

Garrus didn’t answer her. She was right of course, and the more he had fought the last few weeks the more he realised that, unlike Cassandra, he didn’t seem to have that fire that could get him through the odds like this. He wasn’t a leader; he was a soldier. It was people like Shepard who led. Garrus readied himself and glanced at his friend. “Let’s do this.” 

“So, Archangel?” Shepard asked as they waited. With Zaeed and Miranda flanking from their positions, they were getting updates and it looked like the Eclipse were ready to make their next move. 

“Just something the locals called me; you know for getting the scum off their streets.” Garrus told her, as he adjusted his scope “I don’t really mind it, but its just Garrus to you.” He gave her a small smile. 

“Was Aria ever going to be on your list?” Mordin asked. 

“That’s one target I would never catch. Aria is as much Omega as Omega is her. I’d never catch her.” Garrus admitted. 

He knew, like everyone else in the Universe, that Aria T’Loak was the Pirate Queen of the Terminus. What she said went and woe betide anyone who crossed her. She didn’t just sit on her arse all day in Afterlife, when she wanted something dirty doing, she did it herself. Wether that was because she likes getting her hands dirty, or she felt she had to prove something to people around her, he didn’t know and he didn’t care. Merc gangs he could deal with. Aria T’Loak was a different kettle of fish entirely. 

“Besides, loathe as I am to admit it. Aria keeps this lot in line, most of the time. If someone takes her out then whoever takes her place, well sometimes it's better the devil you know right?” 

Mordin nodded. He never had any problems with Aria. He had been there when she found her daughters body. Aria was not so harsh back in the day, when her daughter died, it was like something inside her died. She was always a hardarse, just after that, she got more so. No one crossed her and lived. 

**++They are coming. ++** Miranda’s voice came over the comms. 

**++Ok, time your shots, Miranda don’t use your biotics too much, I don’t want you burning out, got a little way to go before we get back to the Normandy. ++**

**++Understood Commander. ++**

Garrus arched an eyebrow as he heard the word Normandy. “New ship Gar, you’ll see, you’ll love her. Joker already does.” 

Garrus laughed a genuine laugh “That sounds like Joker, he’s with you too?”

“Yup and the doc. You’ll be in good company Gar I promise.”

Shortly after that the killing started. 


	9. Rocket to the face.

The Eclipse merc’s came across first. Led by a Salarian, with the team working in tandem with each other Cassie thought for a moment it was like the old days as Joker put it. Everyone knew what they were doing and the crossfire was enough to ensure that they didn’t get into the base. Miranda got tagged once in her arm and the swearing could be heard coming over the comms, although that didn’t stop her from unleashing a huge warp field that slammed into a group of merc’s who were trying to sneak their way around the cover of the pillars.

When the YMIR came in Garrus swore but Cassandra assured him that it was all taken care of, and taken care of it was. Jerod grinned as his prize toy came into view, lowered in and he folded his arms, smirking as he envisioned what was going to happen to the man and his associates, the man that had killed his brother.

Garrus readied himself but watched as the Mech started up and then turned around and started firing its death guns at the Eclipse soldiers coming over the barricades. He looked at Cassandra who shrugged and shot him a grin. “Told you, it’s taken care of Garrus.”

Garrus uttered a choked laugh and rested a little as the Normandy team took out the rest, it was Miranda who killed the leader with a body slam that had him bouncing so high up his body smashed into the ceiling and the ground leaving blood smears everywhere.

They regrouped and Miranda handed out some drinks and energy bars. Garrus thanked her and sat himself down closing his eyes for a moment. While he rested, Cassie told Mordin to make sure he was ok and to check Miranda over while she did a walk through with Zaeed.

Garrus had a lot of explosives in his apartment building, some that could be put to good use. She just wasn’t sure where. “Shepard, over here.” Zaeed was standing by a back door on the lower level. The Spectre walked over and frowned. Zaeed opened the door and pointed to what she assumed was a garage area.

“If I were them, I would come in this way, take us from behind and well you know end it.” Zaeed told her matter of factly. “A frontal assault isn’t going to work so; the best bet would be...”

“Get in from behind. What you got in mind?” Zaeed pointed to the ordinance and grinned. “I like the way you think Massani.” Cassie set her rifle down. “Let’s do this, give Garrus a chance to rest.”

They set the explosives at points near the other three doors. Zaeed set them to go off with motion sensors, they didn’t know when the next attack was coming, so it was no good setting them on a timer. Whilst Cassie helped him set them down, he programmed them and looked at her.

“You’ve known Archangel a while then?”

“Couple of years.” She told him. “Best Sniper I have ever seen, even if he is a Turian.”

“You think he did right to come out to Omega? I mean this place is built for the criminal fraternity Shep. He might have made a dent in it, but it won’t ever change what it is.”

Cassie stopped what she was doing and scratched the side of her head. Her thoughts focussing themselves into something she could explain. “When I met Garrus, he was an angry C-Sec officer, pissed of at the fact that he couldn’t find anything that would have changed the Council’s stance on Sarin. He made the mistake of putting a hostage in danger with his arrogant determination that he and only he could make a difference, I was pissed at him for that but, I saw something in him. We hunted Sarin for a year and in that year, I saw him change from a man who did not want to be tied down by red tape and rules and regulations to a man who actually accepted that in part, the rules and regs are there for a reason.” Cassandra got up and rolled her shoulders. “I got asked by some mouthy journalist why I had a Turian on my squad, now I don’t give a rats arse that Garrus is a Turian, truth be told, I would rather have Garrus and Wrex watching my back then humans sometimes. So if he came out here thinking he could change Omega, then he must have had his reasons, and knowing Vakarian, to have the entire of this shit holes gangland after him, he did more than make a dent.”

Zaeed nodded a little and murmured that he was done. “Still, he needs to rest or he will get himself killed we can handle the rest of them Shepard.”

“I don’t disagree, but you try telling Garrus Vakarian he needs to stay down, he’s stubborn enough to just shit in your eye and carry on. He’s a Turian, what more needs to be said.”

Zaeed laughed a little and the two of them walked back up to the apartment, leaving one more surprise just in case. Cassie took the coffee that Miranda gave her and she checked on Garrus, well he was snoozing, she could tell that by the way his mandibles flared a little, but she doubted he was asleep. “Thanks.” She whispered and sat down.

Miranda sat beside her, a makeshift bandage on her arm. Garrus had long since run out of medi-gel. “This is a cluster fuck you know, that right?”

“Yeah I know but we don’t have anyway of extraction until these bozo’s are dealt with, and besides, it’s good practise.” Cassie sipped her coffee and pulled a face.

“Yeah sorry about that, all I could find. I prefer tea but there was none about and this stuff is…”

“Military grade rations, yeah I know how bad they are.” Cassie looked at Miranda’s arm “How bad?”

“Through and through but I’ll live. Might not be throwing biotics around as much, I’ve had worse.”

“Good job out there XO,” Cassie remarked and didn’t even bat an eyelid as the alarms went off. Garrus however sat bolt upright and reached for his rifle which Cassandra moved out of his reach and put her fingers to her lips.

“They had to use their brain at some point Shepard.” Garrus told her going to grab his rifle once more.

“And Zaeed and I have taken care of that, now quit wanting to charge back in there and just relax a moment.” She told him in no uncertain terms. “This is me your talking to Garrus, not some wet behind the ear rookie.”

Garrus gave her a curious look then stared as the ground shook beneath him. The explosions down below could be heard up top, as could the screams and howls of the dying and wounded. Cassie finished her coffee once the ground stopped shaking and taking her rifle, she told Garrus to come with her and led him down.

The garage and delievery area were a mess, as was the side street. Bodies littered the road and body parts were stuck to the walls by the brain matter that was acting like some sort of glue. “Blood pack.” Garrus muttered and stared as he saw Garn move his arm, he grabbed the Commanders rifle and put a hole it the Krogans head before he could get up. “That guy is a freak of nature Shepard, even for a Krogan.”

“So that leaves the Blue Suns, I figure they might take a little more time to think about what they are going do to.” Cassie took her rifle back “Sorry about the mess, pretty sure we can get the decorators in though.”

“Yeah if they don’t mind brains and shit everywhere.” Garrus wrinkled his nose a little as the smell hit him and he turned away to walk back up. Cassandra watched him leave for a moment, noting how weary his gait was, and the smile faded from her face. Her friend was in pain and she was not sure there was anything she could do to help him now.

She looked around her and spread her arms a little “But Garrus,”

Garrus stopped and turned arching an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“It’s the biggest explosion you’ve seen since Joker and the fifth fleet blew Sovereign out the sky.”

Garrus snorted and waited for her to join him. She looked down and slipped her hand into his only letting go when they reached the apartment complex. Someone had to tell him he was not alone, even if he felt like he was.

*****

It took a long while for the Blue Suns to get their act together, and when they did, they did it with the ferocity that they were known for. The gunship attacked first, causing the group to take cover behind whatever they could that would save them from the flying bullets. In between the bullets, Tarik dropped his troops in to keep the group busy while, he flew around so that he could come in again.

It was whilst Shepard and her team were taking out the Blue Suns falling in, that Tarik brought the gunship back around and with venom in his voice almost screamed through the speakers. “This is it for you Archangel, you are dead you hear me, dead!”

Garrus spun round to fire his rifle, a pea shooter against such a machine, and he was span several times as bullets hit him, as he fell a rocket launched into the room sending Garrus flying.

“GARRUS!” Cassie yelled as she saw her friend fall, purple blood pooling around him. Gritting her teeth, she ordered her people to hit the gunship with everything they had. The fact she had killed the technician before he had completed the repairs meant their bullets not only whittled down the shields, but eventually took Tarik out in an explosion that could be seen across Omega.

“Miranda get Joker on the coms, tell him to have a trauma team ready to take Garrus to med bay”

“Right away Commander.”

Mordin holstered his smg and grabbed a first aid kit from one of the shattered footlockers and got to work stabilising the Turian.

“He’s not going to make it.” Zaeed muttered, “He’s lost way too much blood.”

“No patient dies on my watch.” Mordin emphatically said, “He’s still breathing, talk to him Shepard.”

“We’ll get you out of here Garrus, just hold on old friend, hold on.”

Cassie sat in the med bay beside Garrus’s bed as he recovered from the operation. She rested her hand over his and listened as the doc told her what she had done. “He’ll be fine Cassandra.” Karin told her “He’s as stubborn as they come.”

“Well his scars might make him look a bit more inviting to the Krogan women.” Cassie sighed and sat back. Karin laughed and both looked at the bed to hear a chuckle then a wince from Garrus.

“Hey he’s awake.” Cassie looked at the Turian “Good job too, theres me thinking you might just snooze the whole mission away.”

“Good to see you doc” Garrus weakly said “and you Cassie, but don’t make me laugh again, my face is barely holding together here.”

“Well, it’s an improvement Vakarian.” Cassie got up “I am going to let you rest but I’ll be back in the morning.”

“Yeah we need to talk Cassie.”

“Sure, but not just yet Gar, get yourself a bit fitter yeah.” Cassie winked at him and walked out the medical bay and back to the bridge. “Time to move on.” She told Joker through the bridge comms.

“Next point of call Boss?”

“The citadel Jeff, we have to pick up a Kasumi Goto and…and I have to see an old friend.”

“Sure, err Cass, how’s Garrus?”

Cassie was silent for a moment then said “He’ll be ok Joker, its Vakarian after all.”

“Yeah with that pole up his ass and everything.”

Shepard chuckled and bid Joker goodnight as she went to her own bed to lay down.


	10. The Citadel, Same place, same Bull.

Shepard remembered the first time she saw the citadel. It had filled her with a wonder and a sense of awe that humanity had finally made it. To be part of the galactic community. She rested her forearm against the briefing room window and rested her head against her arm as she watched the vessels go in and out.

_“Look at the size of that thing, it’s main gun can cut us in half!”_

_“Good thing its on our side then.”_

_“Well you know size isn’t everything.”_

_“Why so touchy Joker?” _

Cassie found herself chuckling at the banter that had been on the bridge that day when they had first seen the Asari capital ship, the Destiny Ascension. As heart stopping as it was to realise that the Citadel fleet could wipe out humanities fleet if they ever went to war against humanity, and how awe inspiring it was to see that the Citadel was protected, nothing had compared to being made a Spectre. Even if it had been after she had jumped through hoops and argued then shouted in the face of the Turian Councillor.

However, what should have been a glorious moment for humanity ended up being drowned in lies, misdirection and the sacrifice of thousands of humans to defy the Reapers.

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

Cassie turned as Miranda’s voice interrupted her thoughts, she looked at her XO for a moment then stood straighter. “Yeah, when you first see it. Then you are reminded that its nothing but the same political bullshit, just wrapped in a different package. The council hear what they want to hear and deny what they don’t.”

“They don’t believe the Reapers are real either.” Miranda told her.

“What? After all that? After the battle with Sovereign they deny it’s real? How can they!”

Miranda perched against the desk and shrugged a little. “They don’t want to see what it in front of their faces. So, they have decided that Sovereign was nothing more then a highly advanced Geth warship.” Miri held up a file and set it on the desk “Sorry Shepard, they just backslid on everything they said to you, with the help of Udina that is, they said you had a breakdown, the stress of hunting Saren. Only Teevos believed you.”

Cassie clenched her fist and picked her jacket up “Shall we go?” The Commander put her jacket on “So, Udina’s still a slimy arse kissing SOB huh?”

“Oh, he doesn’t like not being Councillor, can’t sat that Anderson likes it much, but Anderson has managed to stop him from besmirching your name too much.”

“Well this is going to be fun; you got that OSD?”

“And the information you wanted; you can read it while Joker gets docking permission.”

Cassie took the data pad and began to read as they made their way to the doors.

****

David Anderson turned his earpiece off. He had ordered that he be informed as soon as Shepard had come onto to the citadel. As soon as she had passed the first checkpoint before getting onto Zakera Ward he had been alerted and told the C-SEC guard to shut it off. Now butterflies swarmed in the old warriors stomach.

The Turian and Salarian were huffing and puffing, but the Asari remained as calm and serene as ever. Valern wanted to know where Udina was, David had shut him up sharply, reminding them that he was the councillor and not Udina. He was not as mailable as Udina.

“This is a waste of time, if Shepard was going to be here, she would have been here, it is obvious she has turned her back on us!” Spartias barked.

“More like we turned our back on her Spartias.” Teevos shot back, silencing her co-councillor. “Ah, as you humans say, talk of the devil”

“Miss me?” Cassie came in through the door with Miranda and Mordin, she flung her jacket on Andersons desk and folding her arms stood before the councillors.

“Shepard, you can explain your actions now” Valern sniffed with an air of superiority that Salarians, except for Mordin, were known for.

“What actions would that be? Being left for dead, being dead waking up in a hospital to discover that everything I fought for was flipped upside down and…what was it? I had a mentle breakdown? Tell me Councillor, whose bright spark idea was that one?” She glanced at Anderson “Udina?” Anderson nodded “Still pissed that I put you on the council then?”

“Always.”

“Shepard, we are glad that you are alive, but you are working for Cerberus, an enemy of the Council and all life in citadel space.” Teevos explained.

“I am not working FOR Cerberus I am working WITH Cerberus, until the threat of the Collectors has been abolished, you know those responsible for taking tens of thousands of humans that you all seem to be ignoring, AGAIN!”

“First the Reapers and now the Collectors,” Valern shook his head “You obviously suffered some trauma…”

“ENOUGH!” Shepard rose her voice “Don’t you dare forget, _Councillor_ that I ordered the sacrifice of thousands of Humans so that you could fucking live, so don’t you dare finish that next statement or I will come to your embassy and finish the job.”

Teevos saw Valerns indignant look and raised her hands “Cassandra, we are very aware of the debt we owe you, that is why…”  
  
“You cannot be serious!” Spartias stared at Teevos.

“That is why,” The Asari looked at the Turian before turning her eyes onto Shepard “I will reinstate your Spectre status, giving you the resources to do what you have to do to save the human colonies, on the condition, that you remain conducting your business in the Terminus Systems. I cannot be seen to endorse Cerberus.”

“Typical” Miranda muttered “Every time humanity needs help; the council say their best fucking Spectre is insane or its Cerberus’s fault!”

“Thanks XO.” Cassie smiled a little “But I see what the Councillor is getting at, however, councillor I will be coming to see you, I have…something you are going to want to see…” Cassie rubbed her brow “On second thoughts come to the Normandy alone.”

Teevos frowned for a moment then when she saw the expression on the Commanders face, she nodded “One hour? Give you a chance to think my offer over and…talk with old friends.” She closed her channel the other two followed suit and David shot Cassandra a curious look.

Before the Commander could answer they heard a cough and turned to see Udina walk in, as soon as he saw Cassie though, his face, paled “Do not tell me you just had a meeting with the council without me being present.”

“I don’t need this,” Cassandra muttered.

“I don’t answer to you Udina,” Anderson reminded him.

“This is a political nightmare, a bureaucratic storm.” Udina narrowed his eyes.

“I told you I don’t answer to you Udina, go away and think about that for a while, while you are informing Admiral Hackett that Commander Shepard is alive and kicking.”

“Of course, Councillor.” Udina spat and stormed out.

“Don’t forget to give Spartias and Valern a blow job while you’re at it, sure they would appreciate it.” Cassie yelled at his retreating back.

Mordin was about to ask what Shepard meant by that when Miranda shook her head and said she would explain later. “Miri give Mordin the OSD to look over,” Shepard instructed her XO “Another set of eyes on this won’t hurt our case.”

Miranda nodded and handed Mordin the OSD and began to explain what her and Shepard had discovered. In the meantime, Cassie turned to face her godfather and shook his hand but stepped back before he could draw her into a hug.

“Leaving me to die was not a good move David.” She warned.

“We didn’t find your body Cassie.” David sighed and walked to the balcony that overlooked the Presidium. “We looked for you for over a year before the Alliance declared you dead. Frankly from what I was told you were dead. We weren’t wrong.”

“Who told you?”

“Who told me what?”

“Who told you that I was dead, as far as I am aware, my death and resurrection is hardly common knowledge.” Cassie lent on the balcony next David.

David was silent for a long time. He took in the sights and sounds of the Presidium. “They never found anything of Sovereign. Nothing that could prove that he was a Reaper. To be honest with you a team we sent to Ilos couldn’t even speak to Vigil, he had shut himself off. I suppose his last message was for you and your squads ears only.” David looked at her “I believed you and so did Hackett, but Udina sided with Spartias and Valern, he wants my job and I suppose eventually he will get it. For now, he will do what I tell him.”

“How can a ship the size of Sovereign go missing?” Miranda asked.

“Salvagers, others, they got there before we could seal the area off,” David sighed “not to mention there was so much destruction that they are still finding bodies in the lower wards. The lower markets were taken out, Chora’s Den, Flux has only just re-opened.”

“You didn’t answer my question Anderson, who told you I was dead?” Cassie asked.

“Liara.” David looked at her “Liara told me.”

“Let’s go.” Cassie stood straighter.

“Cassandra…I can’t keep them off you forever but stay in the Terminus, I’ll let Hackett know about the Collectors. Just be careful.”

“I am sure Liara will keep you informed David, where ever she fucking is.”

The Commander stormed out the office followed by Miranda and Mordin and headed back to the docking bay, recruiting Kasumi on the way. Right now, she wanted answers as to what Liara was doing nowadays and why she gave her body to Cerberus. That Asari had a lot to answer for.


	11. The Citadel

“Cerberus?” Garrus asked as he sat across from Joker and Cassie in the mess, wincing a little as his facial injury caused his words to lisp a little. “Its good to see you both again, but Cerberus? After all they did to you and all the times, they shot at us?”

“Or all the times you pulled that pole out of your ass to shoot them with.” Joker quipped and shot his friend a sardonic smile.

If Garrus could have stuck his tongue out at the pilot without it causing half his face to feel like it was falling apart, he would have done, instead, he settled for flipping the pilot the one finger salute and returned his blue eye to the commander.

When he had seen her crossing the bridge, he had thought he was dreaming, delirious because of his long hours of wakefulness with little to no sleep. When she had appeared with her squad in his home, well he really did think he was dead and this was just some dreamlike state of what he wanted. Now though after having been released from the infirmary, under strict instructions from the Doc to take it easy for a day or two, to let his wounds heal, not that Garrus would, he was itching to get back into action, it would keep the nightmares away and the faces of his squad at bay, they were always in his mind, accusing him, haunting him and until he found Sidonis they always would be.

“Well this time old friend, they have the edge against the Reapers.” Cassie picked her coffee up “They are in the same fight, how long it lasts, well we’ll see.”

Garrus worried her, he was always passionate about what he believed in, Shepard might not have always agreed with his view of justice and red tape, but that was what she had always liked about Garrus, you knew where you stood with him. Except now, now his eyes had a haunted look, and a vengeful look that vanished as soon as he realised, he was being scrutinised.

“When’s the councillor due aboard?” Joker asked chuckling at the way Garrus flipped him the bird, for a guy that had only three fingers, he did pull it off quite well.

“Yeah what is that all about?” Garrus asked, intrigued. He had known that Cassandra was working a mission for the Asari councillor separate from the hunt for Saren, he just didn’t know what it was, and she wasn’t being very forthcoming now.

Cassie was silent for a moment and picked up some fried bread. She had managed to procure some decent food from the citadel, and, despite the fact it was supposed to be really unhealthy, and the fact it made Miranda pull a face when she had made it for her and Joker added to the fun, she had missed a proper English fried breakfast. She had even made sure she had dextro versions so Garrus wouldn’t be puking his guts up or dying, dying in a fire fight, how any Turian wanted to go, dying because they ate human food, well that would be insulting to the gods of war and the cook.

“The councillor is at lunch and will be aboard about three. She had an emergency meeting to attend with her own people.” Shepard munched on her friend bread, and thought it over. She had Mordin on board now, so it wouldn’t hurt to let them in on it.

Mordin had been horrified when he heard the intercepted transmission, she had picked up way back. From her conversastion with him, whilst he had been totally behind the Genophage, he had not liked the other implications of what it could do. Sure, cause them to become sterile or influence the birth rate, not a bother for him, but the thought that the Krogan could be extinct in a couple hundred years, that bothered him. Besides she knew that Joker and Garrus wouldn’t gossip about something like this.

“When I was hunting for Saren, Teevos asked me to look into some disturbing reports her own commandos had sent her. Nothing she could prove outright or piece together, but long story short, it turns out that the Salarians have their own agenda, namely covert uplift and the Yagh it appears is top of that list.”

“You’re kidding me!” Joker hissed “Seriously?”

“After what happened to the Krogan the council outlawed any of that” Garrus scowled, his facial scars making his scowl look even more threatening, hell he could give Wrex a run for his money in intimidation factor now. “How would they even get away with it?”

“That, we don’t know.” Cassie sighed “but Mordin thinks there are a few fringe elements within the Union who no longer want the Union to be joint leaders of the galaxy but full-blown leaders.”

“You mean the lizards want to be like Cerberus and Udina.” Joker quipped, although his words probably weren’t that far from the truth.

“Yeah but the Yagh. Do you even know what they can do!” Garrus didn’t like the sound of that one little bit.

“I know fuck all about them. Miranda filled me on them, from what she said, not people friendly.” Cassie sighed.

“How can we help?” Joker asked.

“Can’t for now.” Cassie rubbed her brow and finished her lunch, wiping her mouth with her napkin and picking her coffee up. “For now, we focus on the Collectors, but when it comes to it and I have the full proof I need, then we’ll deal with it. Besides I want to know what Teevos is going to do before I commit to anything that might cause a fucking war with the Salarians.”

“Yeah, who knows what dirty tricks they’ll have.” Joker pulled a face “Mordin might be mad but looks like he has a whole host of even more extreme mad scientists in the Union.”

“Mordin might be…eccentric but he has a code, I don’t think this lot even touch his code of ethics.” Garrus mused “Damn, I could always put some feelers out with my old C-sec contacts.”

“No,” Cassie shook her head “Not yet anyway, the less people who know about this, the less chance of Valern getting wind of it and throwing a spanner in the works. Have to tread carefully with this.”

Garrus nodded, still he would start his own covert information gathering style, and he knew he could do it without tipping anyone’s hand. If a rogue element within the Salarian Union were starting to uplift known violent races, hell he wanted to know about it. The very idea that anyone would want to uplift the Yagh made him shudder.

“As for Cerberus,” Cassie heaved a sigh “as long as we are aware that the Illusive man is going to stab us in the back at somepoint, then we won’t be surprised when he does it.”

“What about Taylor and Lawson?” Garrus asked “They are Cerberus and from what little I can glean off Lawson, she’s a project director, a big hitter.”

“Yeah well most of this crew is Cerberus, just have to do what we have to do until the Collectors are dealt with, Who’s next on the list Jeff?”

Joker looked at the data pad in front of him. He had spoken with most of the crew, got on with them, well as much as a guy like Joker got on with anyone that is. He had found Kelly Chambers gushing recommendations of Cerberus a little nauseating, but aside from that he liked her.

“Well we got a choice; we can go get the Krogan warlord O’Keer or head to a Blue Sun run Prison ship and collect a convict. We are turning into a regular bunch of dirty bastards.”

“Once Teevos has been, how long before we can leave?”

“Give it another three hours for refuelling, an hour for supplies to be stocked and ready and we’ll be good to go about eight tonight.”

“Ok so we go get the warlord first then.” Cassie sat back just as EDI announced that the Councillor was waiting to come aboard “Guess she couldn’t wait; EDI have Chambers and Walker escort her to my cabin. Miranda, it’s Shepard, get Mordin and meet me in my cabin.”

“Understood Commander.” Miranda’s voice came over the ship intercom.

“EDI make sure nothing gets back to HQ”

“That’s already taken care off.” EDI told her in her ear and cut out. Cassie rose from her seat and took her tray to the washer.

“I’ll see you boys in the lounge later for a game of poker.” She told them and walked off.

Joker rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then met Garrus’s gaze. “She’ll be ok big guy, long as we are there to remind her, she’s with those she can trust.”

Garrus nodded absently and got a deck of cards from the side “Practise.”

“Oh, bring it on bird brain. Miss the pool table though.”

“Maybe we can rectify that at somepoint.” Garrus promised.

*****

If there was something that Cassandra could give the Asari credit for, when they weren’t acting all superior and, in your face, we have the most technical advanced race, they knew how to make an entrance, and by the gods of war, Councillor Teevos made an entrance. Whether she intended it or not, she made an impression on the Normandy crew. As she was escorted through the CiC the Asari had to admit, this was a beautiful ship. It bothered her that Cerberus had managed to copy the original Normandy, and expand on it but, if Cassandra Shepard was in control then she would have nothing to worry about. She politely ignored the looks the male and female members of the crew gave her. Kelly Chambers escorted her to the lift and with the two C-Sec guards that were with her she took them up to Shepard’s quarters. Once she had shown the Councillor in, she returned to her duties and the two C-Sec officers took their posts either side of the door.

Miranda glanced at the guards and motioned her head in their direction. “Can they be trusted?” She enquired.

Teevos nodded and sat down, accepting the wine that Cassandra gave her. Cassie motioned for Miranda and Mordin to sit down and sat across herself from the Councillor. “My quarters are secure Councillor. However, EDI.”

“Yes Commander.” EDI had altered her voice so that she did not sound like an AI, rather a very sophisticated VI.

“Can you make sure that all recording devices in this room are off.”

There was silence for a moment then “Done.”

“This just makes sure that this conversastion is not even recorded on the black box recorder Councillor.” Cassie assured her.

“How very Spectre of you.” Teevos smiled a little.

“More like N7” Cassie returned the smile and got the electronic file out. “My OSD that was recovered with my body had picked up a rogue transmission. I probably collected it from somewhere.” Cassie couldn’t remember at all to be honest. Chances where she had picked it up with her Omni-Tool and it had downloaded when she did a download to an OSD,

Cassie pulled her computer over and slipped it in the side, then activated it. The councillor listened, at first nothing seemed out of the ordinary for her, but then, as she heard the scientist explain about uplifting the Varen and then the Yagh, her eyes widened for a moment. She turned side on and looked squarely at Mordin. “The council made it illegal to uplift any more species, considering what happened with the Krogan.” She evenly said.

“This is true.” Mordin replied “I have my contacts in the STG that I can trust looking into this.”

“Is a Dalatrass behind this?”

“Several.” Mordin sat forward “I doubt it is one Dalatrass and as you all know, anything like this would require their permission.”

“They cannot seriously think they can get away with this?” Teevos shook her head.

“Councillor this is flimsy at best.” Miranda sat forward “It would be enough to frighten the Salarians but, not enough to charge them. Anything like this would require more than we have.”

“I also suspect Councillor Valern is involved. It is no secret that he wants more power and he wants the Universe to bow down to the scientific community that is the Salarian Union. No offense Mordin.”

“None taken Shepard. Valern has always been against the order to cancel the uplifting of species.” Mordin looked at the electronic file “but, he is a clever bastard and none of this, as it stands will trace back to him.”

Teevos heaved a sigh and her brow furrowed. She knew that all races, all species had their secrets, it was the way of the world and the way the universe turned, but she had believed that they had all come far enough to dispense with the need for this kind of behaviour. The council had outlawed the need to uplift any other species who were not ready for the technological marvels that came with being uplifted. The Krogan were a testament to that. Uplifted to wage war on the Rachni, and the council abandoned them after. Was it any wonder that it all turned out the way it did? The Krogan rebellions, the Genophage. She had recalled that the Asari councillor before her had said this was not acceptable but she had been outvoted by the Turians and the Salarians.

She ran her slender blue fingers along her lower lip, it was bad enough thinking that the Krogan would change but the Varen were scavengers, if they were uplifted into something else…well that didn’t bare thinking about, and the Yagh, “Goddess, they ate the first contact team.” She pulled a face and spoke her thoughts out loud. “This…we cannot let this slip to the side. I will do what I can Shepard, you just end the Collectors and their abductions of humans. If I find anything else out, I will contact you over the old Normandy call sign, if you still have it?”

“I have it councillor.” Cassie assured her. “This could take a long-time councillor; we are talking years.”

“It will take as long as it takes. We just must make sure the proof is irrefutable. I do not have to remind you what happens if we act too soon and we do not have the evidence to back it up.”

Teevos rose from her seat and inclined her head to the Commander and her people. “Allow me to walk you out Madam Councillor.” Cassie told Miranda and Mordin to remain where they were and walked the councillor out and down.

“Goddess be with you Shepard. My prayers are with you and you crew.”

“Thank you.” Cassie watched the doors close and glanced at Joker “Korlus Joker, now.”

“Aye Commander.”

Shepard returned to her cabin and picked her drink up. “So, keep the mission in mind but if you both come up with anything new on this clusterfuck of an idea, then forward it to me.”

Mordin nodded and then shook his head “Stupid, stupid games, this is going to destroy us. You realise what this can do to the union if its ever discovered that this is all more than rumours and whispers Shepard?”

“I am aware of that Mordin. Let’s hope it’s just a couple of megalomaniacs then huh?”

Mordin grunted and said he’d be in his lab working on the mission. Miranda set her coffee down. “I should tell the Illusive man you know.”

“But you won’t will you” Shepard told her “I asked for your discretion, if you can’t do that Lawson, then say so now.”

“Why would you not want to warn him?”

Cassie walked over to her fish tank and pressed the food button. “Because I don’t trust him not to try and do something similar for himself Miranda.”

Miranda opened her mouth to defend the Illusive man, but then she closed it. Realising that in retrospect, Shepard was probably right. “Of course, Commander, as you wish.”

“Get some sleep Miri, it’s going to be a while before we reach Korlus. I am going to have a poker game tonight if you think you can handle it.”

“Oh, you are on Shepard.”

Cassie nodded and watched her leave before moving to her window and looking out at the stars beyond.


	12. Blue Suns.

The poker game had been a surprise, Gabby and Ken had folded early, Kelly and Joker followed suit soon after, as did Karin and Jacob, Mordin sat watching as the drama unfolded between Shepard and Lawson. Kasumi, Zaeed and Garrus shook their heads and set their cards down, this was too rich for them. For almost an hour they went back and forth and eventually Shepard called it. Miranda lay her cards down, a straight flush, seeing Cassies expression she went to collect her chips when the skipper put her hand over hers and set her cards down, royal flush. Joker started to laugh and poured himself a bourbon shaking his head.

“You are bloody shark Shepard” Zaeed laughed.

“I had a good teacher,” Cassie gave Joker a pointed look and he took a bow.

Miranda shook her head and looked at her watch just as EDI let them know they were coming up in Korlus.

“Briefing room, five mins then everyone gear up except you Mordin, I want you working on that thing we brought back from Freedoms Progress.”

“Yes, nearly have a plan, will let you know once I have run some more tests.” Mordin got up and headed back to his lab.

Once the briefing was done, Joker returned to the bridge and Kelly returned to the CIC. Shepard led her team down to Korlus and into a full-on skirmish between the Blue Suns and genetically created Krogan.

The Blue Suns had no idea what had hit them, Garrus with his team of Jacob and Kasumi came in one side whilst Cassie, Miranda and Zaeed came in the other. Cassandra noted that Garrus was not pulling his punches and she had to wonder what else had happened on Omega. He was Garrus, just more…intense. She wasn’t about to reign him in though, she was going to let him work through it, but she would keep an eye on him.

The scout team leader stared at the heavily armed Commandos that had just taken his squad apart. Kasumi shook her boot as blood dripped off it and pulled a face. “I am going to be getting merc brains off this for a week”

“Better than Krogan balls off your feet, those things squish like no man’s business and stain like there is no tomorrow.” Jacob grinned. Kasumi gave him a horrified stare and pulled a face.

“it’s a good job I like you Taylor” She muttered.

“What do we do about him?” Garrus motioned with his head towards the merc currently being flanked by Miranda and Zaeed.

Shepard shouldered her rifle and took her pistol out, readied it and tapped her head with the butt of the gun. “A little N7 psychology” She winked and walked over.

“You just gonna leave me to bleed out?”

“Looks more like a scratch to me.” Miranda sneered. Shepard gave her a slight smirk and stood before the merc.

He had a little blood on him, more dirt where he had hit the floor when Garrus’s grenade went off, but nothing life threatening, obviously he had never been shot before. They always bleated more when there was a small bullet hole.

“Wanna tell me what you guys are doing here?”

“I knew it, I knew it, fucking Alliance or goddamn Commandos!” He winced.

“Nope, not Alliance.” Zaeed shook her head.

“Definatly not.” Miranda agreed.

“You got any friends coming?” Shepard asked powering up her omni-tool.

“What? No, I haven’t given them my usual bearings yet.”

“You have a choice, send them somewhere else or get some Medi-gel for your, wound.”

“They’ll be killed!”

“Not my problem Merc.” She waved the omni-tool to emphasis her point. It took a moment but he eventually gave his other squad the bearings, the wrong ones. “You got bigger ones right now”

“They are gonna walk right into the Krogan bitch!”

“Not my problem.” Cassie shrugged “Now how did your boss, manage to get so many Krogan here? Promise of a cure for the Genophage?”

“What? No, they come from the lab up top, the old Krogan sends them down for us to train with.”

“You mean to use as Target practise.” Miranda shook her head in disgust.

“No, I mean train, those things are crazy anyway, doing them a favour putting them down.”

“Let’s move out.” Cassie looked at the merc and shut her Omni-tool down. “Better find a nice shady spot before you, bleed out.”

“Fucking bitch,” he muttered between winces and as he limped off.

“Did you really have to scare him like that?” Jacob frowned.

“Yeah it was fun Taylor, you should try it sometime.” Cassie dug her hands in her pocket and walked off. The others following.


End file.
